Ugh
by twiztedchild16
Summary: AU- Therapy. Pssh, they didn't need therapy. They were all just fine, thank you very much... Too bad they really have no choice in the matter.- Lots of main characters
1. And the Wheels Start Turning

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

This is a high school AU with a bit of a fun twist. I'm not much of a writer, but it is something relaxing to do when I'm stressed or bored, thus this story was born. I write when I feel like it, which is completely unpredictable, so don't expect a regular update schedule. Anyway, this is set in typical suburban America with a few random Japanese things (like honorifics) left alone because I just can't bring myself to take them out when I'm writing Naruto. So yeah, enjoy. My wonderful cousin and beta actually says this isn't so bad to read when you've got nothing better to do.

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**Chapter 1: And the Wheels Start Turning**

The small, red compact vehicle zipped into the high school parking lot, quickly pulling into the first spot in sight. The driver, a harried looking young woman with a briefcase tucked under her arm, climbed out, the strong morning wind whipping her short, dark hair into a frenzy. She was late. Her first day at this place, and she was nearly an hour late.

She liked to think it wasn't really her fault. After all, she was new to the area in general, and some idiot had decided to hide the school in the most shoved-away place they could find. The only way to reach it was to take a series of backroads that looked like they would lead to a crackhouse rather than a school. And, of course, no one had bothered to put up any signs from the main roads to tell people where the building was hidden. She was lucky the school was located in a bustling suburban area where there were plenty of people out and about to ask for directions, otherwise she doubted she ever would have found the place.

Now she was speed-walking through the double doors at the main entrance, making a beeline for the conveniently placed office. The moment she stepped into the room, a blond woman with a particularly large chest practically tackled her, gathering her into bone-crushing hug. "Shizune!"

The young brunette sighed, patting the woman fondly on the back. "Hello, Aunt Tsunade. It's been awhile."

"It's been too long! I know I said I didn't mind if you moved away, but I didn't expect you to stay away!"

Shizune couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was twenty-nine after all, not a child. And then less than a year after she had left, Tsunade had relocated herself. "I'm sorry, but I'm definitely back for good now. And I wanted to thank you again for letting me use your school as a guinea pig."

Her gratitude was waved off. "No need to thank me, the school board were the ones who actually approved everything. And they never would have considered it if we didn't meet your criteria. In fact, we were starting to get a little desperate. The freshman class this year... And then our old psychologist couldn't handle it. It was her last year before retirement, so she ended up taking it early. Didn't even mind the loss of pension it caused her."

Shizune frowned, a bit worried. "Were the kids that bad?" If they were all so horrible that they made a woman retire early, the program she had planned really wouldn't work.

"No, no, they're not bad," Tsunade assured her quickly. "Really, they're not. They're just... complicated. You'll understand when you look at their files. Speaking of which, I got them all organized and set up in your office for you to look at. Your predecessor, Gloria Thompson, was very thorough at least. She wasn't very good at actually dealing with the kids, though."

Shizune nodded her understanding. She had met the type before, the ones who really would have been better off being psychiatrists rather than psychologists. She watched with mild interest as her aunt shuffled through a mountain of papers on her desk, crying out in triumph when she found what she was looking for.

"Here it is."

The paper ended up being no more than a hastily scrawled list of names.

Naruto Uzumaki

Gaara Sabaku

Sasuke Uchiha

Sai Root

Daniel Matthews

Neji Hyuuga

Hinata Hyuuga

Kiba Inuzuka

Justin Hubbard

Shikamaru Nara

Sakura Haruno

Amy Yoder

Ino Yamanaka

Chouji Akimichi

Rock Lee

Tenten Kunai

Ryan Smith

Shino Aburame

Jessica Parker

She read down the list carefully before glancing up and clearing her throat. "These are...?"

"That's a list of the children we believe might be right for the program. Of course, it will be up to you to look through their files, talk to them, and make the final decision. That's your main job right now, though you also have to fill the role of the school psychologist if anything comes up. Only the bigger problems, though, like a death in the family or if we think they need to go see a psychiatrist. If there's someone who really needs to see you, the teachers and guidance counselors will pick up on it. I'm blessed with an observant and caring staff, they know what they're doing. Your main priority is still getting the program underway."

There was a slight pause and Shizune waited, knowing the older woman wasn't done. Sure enough, "I would like to ask a small favor, though. Even if you don't get to talk to any of the others today, could you please call down Naruto Uzumaki? Even just for fifteen, twenty minutes... He has some... attention needs, and with Gloria gone they really aren't being fulfilled..."

"And when they aren't fulfilled, he starts to act out," Shizune finished knowingly.

"Yes." Tsunade looked visibly relieved. "I've tried having the guidance counselors talk with him, but absolutely none of them can get along with him. He ends up sitting in my office constantly. Not that I mind having him around or anything, but he's missing class when he's with me."

"I understand. I'll definitely make some time for him."

"Thank you. I guess it's best if you get started right away. We can catch up later."

Shizune gave her aunt a smile. "I can't wait."

Tsunade smiled right back, glad her niece, her foster daughter, was finally home. "Izumo will show you to your office."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Nearly two hours later, Shizune sat at the desk of her small office, staring blankly at the folders piled in front of her. She'd been a psychologist for approximately six years now. She'd been working in schools for five of those years. She'd moved around a lot, working at everything from private schools, to inner-city schools, to schools way out in the middle of nowhere. And now here she was, in a nice, suburban town, filled with shopping centers, fastfood joints, and decent middle-class houses, just far enough from the city to not be truly urban. A genuinely nice place to live. And this wonderful slice of suburbia... had the most messed up group of kids she'd ever had the misfortune to hear about.

She looked at the folders again, unsure of what to do. She'd read through the files of the nineteen kids on her list. Some weren't that bad, had regular problems that she was used to dealing with. But some of them...

She took a deep breath, mentally chastising herself. She couldn't go solely by files, she hadn't even met the kids yet. She refused to come to any conclusions until she'd had a face-to-face with all of them. Hell, it was only fair. And the day was already half over, it was time to really get down to business. Besides, she'd made her aunt a promise. First up on the list: Naruto Uzumaki.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto sat in math class, alternating rapidly between nearly falling asleep listening to the teacher, and suddenly snapping wide awake to play intently with a rubber band. When he saw the new kid Sai watching him out of the corner of his eye, he grinned widely and held the rubber band out to the other boy, trying to be friendly and polite. The other gave him his usual fake smile and declined before returning to his drawing.

With a small shrug, Naruto continued stretching the band with fascination when the phone at the front of the class rang. Sarutobi-sensei paused in his boring explanation on how to find 'x' and answered, listening for a moment before hanging up. "Naruto, come here please."

Naruto bounced happily to the front of the class where Sarutobi-sensei wrote him out a pass, handing it to him with a smile. The boy smiled back with a cheery, "Thanks, sensei!" before bounding out of the classroom. He didn't have to ask or look at the pass to know where he was going. He only got called to two places, and if it had been the main office that wanted him, Sarutobi-sensei would have announced it out loud. Since he had handed him the pass silently, that meant he had been called to the school psychologist's office. His senseis never said it out loud when he was called there, it wasn't anyone else's business. Really he could have cared less, but he knew some people would be all sensitive about the whole class knowing they were going to see a shrink. Like that Uchiha bastard for instance.

He practically skipped to the familiar room stuffed away in the corner of the building, humming to himself as he went. Tsunade-baachan had told him they were getting a new psychologist as soon as possible after the first one, Thompson-sensei, had run for the hills, only lasting two months into the school year before taking early retirement. Naruto hadn't been particularly upset to see her go. She was a nice enough old lady, but he had trouble talking to her. And both Tsunade and Iruka had basically threatened him if he didn't talk and work out his 'issues'.

Approaching the office he knocked before hearing a female voice call softly, "Come in." Upon entering he saw the new psychologist behind her desk, rearranging a stack of folders that teetered threateningly. He watched her curiously for a moment before giving his brightest smile. "Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Sarutobi-sensei sent me down."

Shizune managed to keep papers from spilling all over the floor and smiled warmly back at the boy in front of her. "Hello, Naruto, it's nice to meet you. I'm Shizune Suzuki and I'll be taking over for Thompson-sensei. I wanted to get a chance to meet with all her regular visitors and get to know you a little better."

"Mmkay." Naruto flopped himself down on the small, comfy couch in the room, draping a leg over the arm in his most relaxed position. "So whatcha wanna know, sensei?"

Shizune examined the boy in front of her carefully, going over everything that had been in his file in her mind again.

He was wearing a simple pair of worn denim jeans, a gray t-shirt with some logo she didn't recognize, a bright orange jacket overtop of it, and orange converse. She found the latter particularly amusing because she couldn't remember ever having seen that the brand of shoes in that color before. He had a happy expression on his face that didn't falter, and she remembered her predecessor's analysis of his psyche. He was a naturally hyper boy who was terrified of being all alone again, so he acted out to get people's attention. Since the boy was so energetic anyway, adding on to that made him seem like he had a serious case of ADHD, which he'd actually been tested for. No surprise he didn't have it. He was of average intelligence, but generally acted dumb as both another way to gain attention and a defense mechanism. If he didn't like certain questions you were asking or a certain situation, he would either pretend to not understand or do something stupid to draw your attention away. Obviously he wasn't so dumb if he could plan out and manipulate things in that manner.

Shizune flipped open his file again, frowning at it ever so slightly. There was a detailed psychological workup on the boy, but nothing personal was written down. So she had been right. The woman who came before her had most likely been a very straightforward, by the book professional. That was fine if you were a psychiatrist, writing out prescriptions once you figured out the problem, but a psychologist was supposed to help the patient talk through their problems. With children and teenagers especially, that involved getting personal and learning as much as you could about them. As far as that went, she'd have to start from scratch.

"Well, Naruto, why don't we start with you telling me a bit about yourself."

"Mm, like what? I'm a fifteen year old, non-smoking Libra. I live with Iruka and have since I was nine. My favorite food is ramen, my favorite class is gym, and my favorite color is orange." He blinked at her. "Was there something specific you wanted to know, sensei?"

Shizune tilted her head slightly and nodded thoughtfully. "Do you have a lot of friends here? Who's your best friend?"

The blond laughed slightly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I've got a couple friends here, y'know that I hang out with during school and eat lunch with. But I've only got one really good friend who I see out of school, so I guess he's my best friend, huh?"

"What's his name?"

"Hm? Oh, Gaara Sabaku. He and I have been really close since middle school."

Shizune tensed ever so slightly at the name. She recognized it instantly as the second name on her list and remembered reading through his file. So the wretched had found each other, huh?

"Hey, do you know Gaara?" Naruto continued excitedly, waving his arms to make sure he had her attention. "He had to come see Thompson-sensei for mandatory sessions too, so that means he's gotta see you, right?"

Shizune hesitated, not supposed to discuss other patients with him, but then nodded, knowing the boys told each other anyway. "I haven't met him yet, but I plan on doing so shortly."

"Yeah? That's cool. Gaara's a real good guy, but he'll probably be mean to you."

Shizune felt her eyebrow raise of its own accord. "Oh?"

"Yeah, he hates coming here. I don't mind it, but he really can't stand it. And he didn't like Thompson-sensei either. I think he's the biggest reason she left. He did everything he could to scare her." He shoved a hand into his coat pocket then looked up imploringly at Shizune. "Hey, sensei, can I chew gum in here? Thompson-sensei wouldn't let me."

"Is there a school rule against gum?"

The boy shook his head earnestly. "No, we're allowed, but she said I would get it all over her office..." There was a pause and he actually looked a little sad. "I'm not five y'know."

The woman did her best to smile. "I never said you were. Please, feel free to chew as much gum as you want in here."

He crowed happily at that, immediately popping a piece of pink bubblegum into his mouth and chewing enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Shizune quickly scribbled a note down for later use. It seemed that as much as the boy wanted attention, he did eventually draw the line. He didn't mind people thinking he was dumb, but there was a point when it got a bit too insulting for him. Telling a fifteen year old boy, hyper or not, that he would get gum everywhere, was indeed treating him like an incapable child or someone mentally handicapped. That wasn't attention he wanted. That, and he appeared to sincerely enjoy his bubblegum.

"So, Naruto, I know you have friends you get along with. Is there anyone you don't get along with? A specific person or group of people?"

The blond immediately made a face, nodding emphatically. "Yeah, Sasuke-teme! I can't stand him!"

She raised an eyebrow slightly, knowing he meant the third person on her list. "Oh?"

They talked for about fifteen more minutes about a variety of things, many of which seemed to lead back to Sasuke interestingly. The boy also talked quite a bit about his guardian Iruka and Gaara, along with telling Shizune a bit about his other acquaintance/friends at school and his not-so-secret attraction to a certain pink-haired girl farther down on the list. When the bell rang for lunch she finally dismissed him. He'd skipped out happily, telling her with a broad smile that she was much better than Thompson-sensei. She laughed good-naturedly and waved him off. The second he was gone, she began writing furiously, postponing her own lunch until she was done.

Her conclusion on Naruto Uzumaki was the same as her predecessor's. He was an average boy, traumatized by the past, who now sought attention almost obsessively, not that she could blame him. His problem of constantly getting into trouble at school because of ridiculous stupid things was a direct effect of that obsession. He seemed to be slowly calming down as time went on, though, starting to realize that he wasn't going to be left alone again. It would just take more time to heal him. It would take time, but it was completely possible. And he was perfect for the program.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Gaara-baara!"

Gaara flinched slightly at the loud, exuberant cry of his name, along with... "Did you just make up a word?"

"Yessir!" the blond affirmed, taking a seat at the table next to his best friend. What had Iruka packed him today?

"Why?"

"Because it rhymed!" He pulled two sandwiches out of the bag, examining them closely, picking the one that was his. Salami. Not his favorite, but not bad. "Here," he said brandishing one of the sandwiches (the PB&J one) at Gaara, nearly smacking him in the face with it. What else? A bag of Doritos, an apple, and a Snickers bar. Good enough.

Gaara snatched the sandwich away with a grunted thank you and pulled it from its Ziplock confines taking a small bite. "You know Iruka doesn't have to make me lunch everyday."

"I know." Naruto removed his own sandwich, taking the top piece of bread off and carefully looking over the meat and cheese. Satisfied it was still good and wouldn't make him sick, he put it back together and practically inhaled it.

Gaara decided not to argue anymore, they'd done that a million times before and it never got anywhere. He was given a small allowance to cover food and any personal things he wanted to buy once a month, and he'd decided early on it was easy to just skip lunch and keep all of the allowance for personal use. When he became friends with Naruto and explained this, Naruto's 'father' had started packing an extra sandwich in the blond's lunch for him. It wasn't necessary, it's not like he was starving, but Iruka always insisted. Gaara knew Iruka was just thrilled Naruto had found a true friend finally.

"Hey, guys." A tray clattered on the table across from them and Kiba sat down, smiling wolfishly. "Naruto, you got called down today, didn't you? That's why you left Sarutobi's class."

Gaara stopped nibbling at his sandwich upon hearing this and stared, eyes narrowed. "You got called down? Is that hag back?"

Naruto stuffed the last of his sandwich in his mouth, shaking his head. "I'll tell you in a second. Wait for Chouji."

"He's coming," Kiba said, looking over his shoulder to spot their friend. "He was right behind me in line... Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh what?" Gaara growled, following Kiba's line of sight. That's when he saw it too. "That bitch again. Why doesn't he smack her upside her stupid blond head?"

Chouji had been making his way to their table, tray of food in hand, when he had been stopped by his worst nightmare. The princess of the school, Ino Yamanaka. Immediately his fingers tensed on the tray, waiting for the onslaught of insults she would hurl at him. He didn't actually listen to her words while she taunted him, just tried not to look at her hateful face, preferring to look at the floor, the wall, even the table of laughing 'popular' kids. Anything as long as he didn't have to see _her_ giving him that look. He couldn't take that.

"As a matter of fact," Gaara continued, starting to rise, "I think I might just do it for him."

"Ah, Gaara, wait!" Kiba cried, jumping up and pushing Gaara back down into his seat. He knew if his little, redheaded friend got his hands on Ino, she wouldn't live to tell the tale. "Let's let Naruto handle this, all right?"

Sure enough, Naruto was already skipping over to the 'popular table.' It wasn't actually named that or anything, nothing that childish, but everyone who sat there was a jock or cheerleader or just plain beauty queen. While some schools really weren't that big on 'cliques' theirs was, and everyone knew who the popular kids were as opposed to everyone else. Luckily, Naruto knew how to manipulate several of said popular kids, one in particular.

"SASUKE-TEME!"

Ino froze, as did everyone else. Sasuke slowly turned in his seat, frowning at the loud blond, his eyes clearly letting him know how insignificant he was to the great Uchiha. "What, dobe?"

"I know it was you, teme!"

Sasuke just blinked at that, racking his brains for what he could possibly have done, seeing as how he hadn't spoken to Naruto in several days. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't lie, teme!"

While the two boys argued loudly (well, Naruto was loud at least) back and forth, Chouji quietly slipped away, scurrying to the safety of his lunch table and his two other friends. Naruto continued yelling at Sasuke that he knew it was him while Sasuke continued to ask in his most bored voice what the hell Naruto was even referring to. Naruto simply babbled on and on, waving his arms wildly and being as noisy as possible to make sure all eyes were on him. When he saw Chouji had gotten safely away from Ino, he smiled happily, his whole demeanor changing. Sasuke eyed him suspiciously, thrown by the sudden change. "Dobe?"

"I like your shirt, teme."

Sasuke felt his eyes widen at the comment and actually glanced down at himself and his dark blue polo. "Dobe, what are you..." He let his voice trail off when he realized Naruto was already skipping back over to his table, humming to himself. He stared, trying to figure out what was going on, when his eyes fell on Chouji sitting next to Kiba and he understood. Clever dobe.

"What the hell was that?" a girl next to him muttered, her face scrunched up in disgust. "That kid is so weird."

"I swear, this school is being overrun by freshman," a senior said, frowning. "No offense to anyone here," he quickly added, nodding very specifically to Sasuke and Ino, "but there are a lot of real losers in your class. And that kid is the biggest one."

There were laughs and agreements on how strange the boy was, calling him stupid and crazy. A few seats down from Sasuke, Neji inwardly scoffed at all of them. Did they honestly not realize he'd purposely drawn everyone's attention to himself so the heavy boy could get away from Ino, the school's biggest bitch? He agreed, of course, the boy was a loser, but how stupid was everyone to not comprehend what had just happened? Why did he sit with these morons?

Several tables away Sakura was beside herself with rage. "Stupid Naruto. How dare he yell at Sasuke like that. And doesn't he realize how retarded he just made himself look?"

"A-ano... Sakura... I think he did that because--"

"Honestly, he just comes over yelling his head off about absolutely nothing! What's wrong with him?"

"B-but--"

"Well, he did have to go see Thompson-sensei, so maybe he's bipolar or something... Sorry, Hinata, what were you saying?"

Hinata just blushed and shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Never mind." She secretly gave Naruto a smile, a blush rising on her cheeks. What he did for Chouji was amazing.

"So like I was saying before," Kiba insisted, his mouth full, "you got called down last period, right?"

"Uh-huh, but don't worry. Thompson-sensei is gone for good. There's a new lady now." Naruto examined his apple carefully, making sure it was okay.

Chouji raised his eyebrows. "A new lady? That was fast."

"Is she like the hag?"

"Ne, Gaara, just because you didn't like Thompson-sensei doesn't mean you should call her a hag. And besides, Suzuki-sensei's nothing like her. She's really nice, and she let me chew gum!"

"Oh, well as long as she let you chew gum," the smaller boy muttered sarcastically.

Naruto chose to ignore him, checking the expiration date on his bag of Doritos and then eating them as quickly as could be done while looking over each chip first.

"So she's gonna call us all down eventually, right?" Chouji said slowly, wondering when exactly that would be for him.

"I think so; but Tanuki-chan will get called down before you two."

Chouji nodded, knowing Tanuki-chan was Gaara because of the dark eyeliner he always wore. He also knew better than to ever call him that. Only Naruto could get away with that nickname. Hell, when it came to Gaara, only Naruto could get away with a lot of things.

Lunch ended all too quickly, and Gaara found himself in Spanish listening to Yuuhi-sensei explain something about vowels. When the phone rang he flinched, knowing it was for him. If Naruto had been called down before lunch, he was probably next. At least that had been Thompson-sensei's order. He didn't know how it went from there, but Naruto and he were at the top of the list. Sure enough, "Gaara, can you come up here please, sweetie."

Gaara wasn't particularly fond of being called sweetie, but when Yuuhi-sensei did it, it seemed okay. She had this air about her, and Gaara knew that, like Naruto, she could call him anything and he wouldn't get mad. He took the pass from her, doing his best not to scowl, and made his way very slowly to the psychologist's office. He was not looking forward to this. He'd finally gotten rid of that old hag and now another pain in the ass comes to replace her. He wasn't pleased.

He entered the office without bothering to knock, glaring full force at the woman behind the desk there. She blinked at him surprised before getting her warm smile in place. "Ah, hello, you must be Gaara. I'm Shizune Suzuki, I'll be taking the place of Thompson-sensei." Even though it was both cliche and stereotypical, Gaara looked just like she had imagined he would, clothed head to toe in black except for a pair of bright pink sneakers, dark eyeliner rimming his teal eyes, and black nail polish. She held out her hand politely, but he stared at it as if it were a snake ready to bite him.

"I don't really like touching people."

"Fair enough." She retracted the hand, reaching for his file with a small smirk. She had a feeling that, while he may very well not like touching people, he still normally shook hands when it was expected. He was just going to do his damnedest to give her a hard time. That's all right, she was always prepared for that when she met a new patient, and Naruto had specifically warned her about his friend. She was ready.

"So, Gaara, why don't you tell me a little about yourself."

He snorted, cold blue/green eyes meeting soft brown ones. "Why? You've got my file right in front of you, why don't you just read it?"

Truth be told she had already read it, twice. He, like Naruto, had a painful past. It was really no surprise they'd become friends.

Her smile never faltered. "I can read a file any time I want, Gaara, but I can't talk to you anytime. Besides, what's written on a piece of paper doesn't really tell me about you."

His scowl managed to deepen as he mentally sized her up. She seemed nice, but that didn't mean anything. People were rarely what they seemed. "What should I tell you? About my homelife? My past? How when I was five I walked in on my parents fucking and have been traumatized ever since?"

The smile stayed nicely in place. "Why don't you tell me about Naruto? Unless of course you enjoy talking about your parents fucking. In which case, please, be my guest."

Okay, he hadn't been expecting that. First, he had to give her props for swearing back at him when he was getting disrespectful. She knew how to put someone in their place. Secondly, "Why do you want to know about Naruto?"

She shrugged, inwardly relaxing because she could tell he was starting to relax. "He said he was your best friend, and he talked an awful lot about you. Would you agree?"

"That what? He's my best friend? Yeah, he's my only friend, he has been since I moved here in seventh grade."

They didn't talk long, she only kept him for about fifteen minutes before letting him return to class well before the period was over. She could tell he was both relieved and confused by this, but he made no comment about it. The whole time they had only talked about Naruto and a few of Gaara's other 'acquaintances' as he'd called them. His few acquaintances were the same ones Naruto had called 'school friends,' and it was no surprise the blond held them in slightly higher esteem than the redhead. Yet at the same time, it was easy to see that Gaara still cared for them on some level. She'd also been graced with the events that had taken place that very day at lunch, filing the story away for when two other children on her list would come visit, and was actually pleased when Gaara made a comment about how he'd 'like to kill that blond whore' in reference to Ino Yamanaka. He obviously cared for his 'acquaintance' Chouji enough to be angry for him.

Truth be told, she'd have liked to talk to him longer, but she knew it would have only made him uncomfortable and she'd gotten all the information she needed to for the project. With a sigh, she made several notes in his file and set it aside, reaching for the third file in the pile instead. Time to call the next one down.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Shizune spent the next four days talking briefly with each of the nineteen children on her list and pouring over their files. She decided that fourteen of the children would work well for the project, it was just a matter of getting them all to agree to it. But, of course, she had her ways. Or really, one way, if it came down to it.

The kids had all seemed rather pleased when they were informed they wouldn't need to have regular sessions with the school psychologist anymore. Or at least they were until they learned why. After briefly explaining the program to them, she had attempted to give them permission slips to get signed by their guardians so that they could participate. It went exactly as she'd expected. Most of them took the slips and about half never bothered to show them to their parental figures. The other half actually took them home and got them signed. And a few of them scoffed at her, said they would rather continue their regular sessions instead, and wouldn't even take the paper she tried to hand them.

So three days later she looked down at the signed permission slips on her desk, smiling at the fact that she had been dead on. Everyone she thought would turn one in, did. Those children being Naruto, Sai, Hinata, Chouji, Lee, and Shino. Six out of fourteen had signed up willingly enough. Not bad. Now to work on the other eight. And there was, of course, one simple way to do that.

"What the hell do you mean I'm signed up for your stupid ass therapy project?" Sasuke growled, looking very close to attacking the woman behind the desk. "I never even took that damn paper home."

Shizune smiled, knowing it would only add to his fury. "I'm well aware of that, Sasuke. But I called your home and had a chat with your brother."

Immediately, Sasuke's jaw clenched. "Excuse me?"

"I had a talk with your brother," she repeated, as if he really needed her to. "He said it sounded like a wonderful idea and gave me full permission to sign you up for my stupid ass therapy project."

Sasuke was seething. "That doesn't mean I'll actually go."

"Of course it doesn't." Her smile sweetened. "But if you don't I _am_ going to contact your brother again. His rules, not mine."

Sasuke sputtered something unintelligible and Shizune smiled as he came to the harsh realization. High schoolers, even freshman, were getting so very close to adulthood. And yet they weren't there yet. Their parents (or in this case, his older brother) still had the ultimate control. And for a few more short years, there wasn't really much they could do about it.

Most of the others took it better than Sasuke had. Neji had been furious, but unlike the Uchiha, he had kept it tightly reigned in. His left eye had twitched, and his tone had gotten undoubtedly cold when she told him she called his uncle; but that was all. Sakura and Kiba had both merely sighed dejectedly, knowing their mothers couldn't be swayed from their decision. Ino had pouted, called her father up right there, and tried, to no avail, to convince him to change his mind. Shikamaru had yawned, blinked at her with bleary, bloodshot eyes, and said, "Oh, that troublesome thing, yeah. I completely forgot about that," and she knew he wasn't lying.

Tenten had frowned her way, repeated again that she wasn't interested, and then froze when she said her parents had been called. "You... you called my mom?"

"Well, I tried to." Shizune smiled. "No one answered the phone."

The girl visibly relaxed at her statement. "Yeah, my mom works a lot, so she's not home too often." She sighed and scrubbed her face tiredly. "Look, if you're gonna do that, just gimme the paper again and I'll get it signed. There's no need to bother her."

Shizune's smile widened and she handed her another copy of the permission slip. Tenten practically glared holes in the thing. "Y'know, I play sports, like, year round. This would interfere--"

"Of course it would never interfere with any sports you play. If you need to miss several meetings for practices or games, just let me or the teacher in charge know. And I believe the next sport you play is basketball."

Tenten nodded warily.

"Well, basketball practices are in the evening, aren't they? These meetings will generally take place directly after school. You'll still have time to go home in between and everything."

The girl didn't seem overly impressed. "All right, I get the picture. I'll get the paper signed."

Gaara had given Shizune a nearly triumphant stare when he was told she wasn't able to contact his sister. "Temari's busy with work and school. All the time. Good luck trying to get ahold of her."

Shizune was beginning to worry about how much she enjoyed crushing these children's hopes. "Yes, that's what your brother told me."

Gaara eyed her carefully. "Kankurou?"

"Mmhmm. When I called him down the other day to ask how I could reach your sister, he was most cooperative. In fact, I called for him again just after I did you, so he should be--"

The door to the office opened and Kankurou stepped in, smirking tauntingly at the red-head. "Hello, Gaara. Suzuki-sensei, I got my sister to sign the paper."

"Traitor," his little brother hissed.

"Now, now, Gaara, this is for your own good."

"Why? So they can stuff me up to the eyeballs with drugs again?"

Kankurou froze, permission slip half extended towards the waiting psychologist. "Drugs?" He gave Shizune an angry look, backing away a little. "You're trying to put him on drugs again?"

"No," Shizune said firmly, knowing how sensitive this topic was for them, "we're not. Did you hear me, Gaara, no drugs. The school doesn't even have that kind of authority."

"You're just waiting until I slip up so you can ship me off to—"

"Gaara, that's _not_ what this is for," Shizune insisted, making sure she had the boy's attention. "If I thought you needed something like that, you wouldn't be right for this program at all. This program is a type of group therapy and based solely on social interaction. That's it. Just talking and doing other simple projects in a group."

Kankurou immediately calmed at her words, though he did read through the permission slip one more time, making sure there wasn't something he or his sister had missed. Gaara wasn't so quick to believe her, but he too started to slowly relax. "Talking? What the hell good is that supposed to do?"

"Talking can do a lot of good, Gaara."

"Yeah, Gaara, this'll be good for you," Kankurou agreed, finally handing the paper over. "Don't worry so much, if you seriously hate it that bad, we'll pull you out. But you gotta give it a try first."

Gaara continued to glare, but his expression was noticeably more resigned now. He, like the others, knew his fate was sealed.


	2. Why Me?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Why Me?**

"I still can't believe you actually got all of them to sign up for this." Tsunade looked at the stack of permission slips in her hands in awe. "You must be some kind of miracle worker."

Shizune waved the compliment away absently. "I really only got about half of them to sign up. The rest of them I just got their parents to sign up for them."

"Trust me, that's still quite a feat," the blond insisted, plopping the papers down onto the table in front of her. Stretching her arms above her head, she moved to pour herself some six-hour old coffee, wishing she had the funds to redo the piece of crap that was the teachers' lounge.

"Actually, you'd be surprised. Most of the parents I talked to were really worried about their kids. Especially Uchiha."

Tsunade paused, looking at her niece in surprise. "Itachi?"

"Yes. He knows Sasuke is very... but he doesn't know what to do about it. Apparently they don't get along very well."

"From what I've heard that's an understatement. There's still a lot of controversy about their parents' deaths..."

The door swung open to reveal four weary looking teachers. "Long day?" their boss asked amicably.

"You know Friday always is," Asuma sighed, plopping down onto one of the couches and immediately reaching for a cigarette. Really, according to state law, you weren't supposed to smoke anywhere on public school property, but Tsunade had always allowed him to get away with it in this one room. "I would say let's get this thing over with, but I know Kakashi won't show up for at least ten more minutes."

Tsunade sighed, pulling her mug from the microwave when it beeped. "I'm not sure why I haven't fired him yet."

"Maa, come on now, that's a little rough, isn't it?"

Tsunade looked up at the odd, masked man in surprise. "You're not late."

"I'm not _always_ late. I can be on time if it's important."

Kurenai gave him a pointed look. "You deem this meeting important?"

"Not really." Kakashi gave her his patented eye smile. "I do deem getting home without having to stay here all evening on a Friday important."

"Of course."

"Now that we're all here," Tsunade cut them off, "I agree with Kakashi. I have plans this evening too, you know." _Like hitting the bar..._

Shizune cleared her throat, knowing that was her cue. "Hello, I haven't really had to opportunity to meet any of you, but I'm Shizune Suzuki. I would like to thank you for agreeing to do this. I know it's not your typical after-school program."

"It pays the same," Asuma said with a shrug. "Looks even better on a resume. Besides, from what you said we have to do, it seems like it'll be even easier than other after-school programs."

"I do have a question," Gai said somewhat morosely (especially for him.) "The... troubled youths signed up for this program... none of them are..."

"Insane," Kakashi finished for him. He fixed Shizune with his one visible gray eye. "Right?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Any of the, um, insane kids that go to school here wouldn't be right for the program. This isn't regular therapy."

"So then, none of them are on meds or anything."

"No. Well," she hesitated, looking thoughtful, going over the children's files in her head, "one of them is on anti-depressants."

"That's different," Kakashi said instantly, leaning back into the worn couch cushions, "lots of perfectly normal people are on anti-depressants. Kurenai's on 'em."

"I told you to stop telling people that!"

"I meant you're not giving us kids who have, say, bipolar disorders or--"

"No, nothing like that," he was instantly assured, and Shizune moved to gather her papers together. "Overall, they're relatively normal kids, but they do all have their problems... which is why they were chosen."

"What, a lot of 'em come from broken homes?" the masked man asked.

Shizune smiled. "I'm not going to give you complete backgrounds on them, because if I did, that would probably ruin everything. You'd know exactly what their specific problems were and would focus on that, even if you didn't mean to. That won't work in this case; in fact, you might somehow manage to make it worse. If everything goes according to plan, you'll find out what's wrong because they'll tell you what's wrong. And if they tell you, it means they trust you. And if they trust you--"

"There's actually a chance we can fix it," Kurenai finished, earning a nod.

"Fair enough," Asuma agreed, tapping his cigarette on the side of an ashtray. "We were told before that we'd get a specific group."

"Ah, yes." Shizune rummaged some more and pulled up four sheets of paper. "I split the kids into groups based solely on their personalities and how I believe they'll interact with each other. Unfortunately, that means a few of the groups will have some of the more troubled children in them and some won't. I apologize, but it really has to be that way. If the kids aren't comfortable with each other, this whole thing is completely pointless. Two groups will also have four children while two groups have three."

She earned some nods and handed a small stack of papers to Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai, pausing as she reached Kakashi and the other brunette man who had yet to say a word. "Sorry, you're the ones who are going to be splitting a group, correct?"

Kakashi shifted a bit, eye smiling. "Maa, not _splitting_ exactly. But I will have to miss somewhat frequently, so rather than cancel so often, Tsunade suggested finding a long-term sub." He slung an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "Tenzou here agreed to fill the position. He'll get paid for the days he fills in for me."

"Sempai, I asked you to stop calling me that," the man whined, before fixing Shizune with a small smile. "Hello, I'm Yamato Anbu. I'd be more than happy to fill in for Kakashi-sempai when he can't make it."

"Which will probably end up being almost once a week," Kakashi added thoughtfully. "Ah, but not this coming week. I made sure I was free."

"How responsible of you," Tsunade said, voice dripping with sarcasm. She wasn't really upset though. She was one of the few people who knew where Kakashi disappeared to so often, along with why he needed the money doing this would pay. And despite his seemingly uncaring attitude, he was a very good teacher who actually cared about the kids. It was the main reason she was allowing him to do this program even though he'd be absent from it constantly.

Shizune rolled her eyes her aunt's way and handed the last packet to Kakashi. "Those will be the kids you two will share then."

Kakashi took it with another dorky smile, flipping through absently and holding it so Yamato could read from his seat next to him.

"I think we should just briefly go over the kids," Shizune said slowly, knowing everyone would want to high-tail it out of there as soon as possible. "Just a quick overview so you don't go in completely blind Monday."

"I know all three of the youths placed under my care," Gai said with a nod. "I am sure they will all be well-behaved for me over the course of the program."

Shizune nodded as well. Gai taught gym, so he knew pretty much every child in the school, with the exception of the freshman who wouldn't have him until next semester. "I just wanted to briefly warn you about Neji Hyuuga..." She trailed off, not sure how exactly to word what she wanted to say. "I've heard he's always well-behaved, but... well see, I only talked to him briefly, but I'm afraid..."

"Just say it, Shizune," Tsunade cut in, downing the remnants of her coffee. "You don't need to sugarcoat it for us."

Shizune turned to Gai then and said bluntly, "Neji's about to snap."

Kurenai snorted. "I agree. You can see it building up, even in class."

"Ah." Gai furrowed his brow. "I understand and am sad to say that I'm not surprised. I will be sure to keep a close eye on him. When he does... snap... do you know what will happen?"

Shizune frowned. "No. I really don't. I'm afraid he'll end up attacking someone, though. And that someone will just be whoever it was that got on his nerves most recently, even if they're not the one he really wants to attack."

"He'll bottle it all up and then take it out on an innocent bystander," Kakashi translated.

"Basically."

Gai said again he understood and Shizune turned her attention to Asuma.

"I know two of mine," the bearded man said, flipping through his papers. "But this kid here... Shikamaru Nara. I don't have him."

"You teach basic freshman algebra," Tsunade said instantly. "Shikamaru's been placed in trig and pre-calc."

Asuma blinked, startled. Normally only juniors and seniors took that class. "He's smart?"

"Honestly?" Tsunade smirked. "He's an absolute genius. He's smarter than this whole room put together, even Kakashi."

Asuma chewed the end of his cigarette, glancing back down at the paper on Shikamaru Nara in his hands. It also had his grades. "Why is he nearly failing all of his classes then?"

"Because he's the laziest son of a bitch on the face of the planet. He does just, and I mean _just_, enough work to pass his classes. Had to get his mother in here to hit the little bastard on the head and make him take the advanced math. If he wanted to, though, he could already have graduated college and become a neurosurgeon or something."

"He's also high all the time," Kakashi put in helpfully. "Not that that dumbs him down or anything, but I'm pretty sure it makes him even lazier."

Asuma sucked on his cancer stick. "So he's a lazy, genius stoner. Got it. He cause any trouble?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Never."

"He is very unmotivated to participate in class, and several times I have caught him smoking in the parking lot after school," Gai added. "But I must agree that he has never caused a disturbance and he is always decently respectful."

Kakashi chuckled. "Kid just wants to sleep all the time."

Asuma nodded, flipping to the next page and frowning. "One more thing here... On Ino Yamanaka's page, there's a warning thing. What exactly--"

"Ah, yes, that. Ino's not the only one to have that." Shizune bit her lip for a moment. "I put those warnings there because they're things I'd really like you to watch for. I know I told you I wouldn't give you their backgrounds, but... those things could be dangerous. Technically, they're not proven, and they're just my suspicions, but--"

"You think Ino has an eating disorder," Asuma said gravely, and Shizune nodded. The big man sighed. "Got it. I'll watch her... What exactly do I do if I get proof that she does have one?"

"Tell me. We'll discuss it from there. Try not to confront her on your own. It could be serious."

"Yeah, I know. I understand."

"Uh..." Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

"The same goes for you, and you, Kurenai," Shizune added.

Kurenai was staring at her page in near horror. "You really think she might be suicidal?"

Next to her Asuma flinched a little, and Gai looked very distressed at the thought; and they weren't even sure who Kurenai was talking about.

"I think she might be," Shizune said a little sadly. "It's very hard to tell, and I only talked with her once. However, I'm almost positive she's hurting herself."

"You mean... cutting...?"

"Most likely."

Kurenai shut her eyes for a moment before opening them with a weak nod. "I will definitely watch her."

"Any questions about the other two?"

"Kiba I know... This boy, Shino Aburame. I don't have him."

"He's perfect," Asuma assured her. "Just good luck getting him to talk. He hides behind his sunglasses and high collar."

Shizune looked at Kakashi. "And you?"

Kakashi lazily scanned his pages one more time before fixing her with a pitiful look. "You hate me, don't you? Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha? Together? And then Sakura Haruno with Sasuke? I don't even know this other boy. You must have him, Tenzou."

Yamato nodded, looking at the page with a frown. "Sai. I was actually the one who sent him to Thompson-sensei."

Kakashi looked downright alarmed. "_You_ sent him down? The kid must be a monster."

"Hm? Oh, no, no, nothing like that at all. He's an angel, always does his work on time, has the highest grade in the class..."

Kakashi looked confused. "Then what's wrong with him?"

"Well..." Yamato looked at the others, as if asking for help. Asuma stepped in. "The kid has no emotions."

Yamato nodded quickly in agreement. "Yes, that's it. He's... blank. Always, like he doesn't feel anything."

Kurenai looked at them curiously. "Do you think it's some kind of social disorder?"

"No," both men said at once.

"He randomly shows small flickers of emotion," Yamato elaborated. "Almost like..."

"Almost like it's trapped and trying to get out," Asuma finished for him again. "I've seen it. He also seems to be able to randomly empathize with others, but I mean _randomly_. Whatever's wrong with him, I don't think he was born with it."

"You think it's abuse," Kakashi said, eyes hardening. "Or at least that's the warning you put down for him."

Shizune nodded, looking a bit tired now. "I've seen a couple kids before who were similar to Sai. It's a knee-jerk reaction to years of severe abuse. One of the calmer ways to deal with it actually. They can't handle it and don't know what to do, so they shut away everything."

"Can't get hurt if you can't feel," Asuma said dryly.

"Exactly."

"If you suspect abuse, shouldn't you report that to child services?" Kakashi asked harshly. "I mean, we've been told not to fool around with that stuff--"

"Gloria reported it the first time she met Sai," Tsunade cut in. "The woman was old and mostly useless, but she wasn't completely incompetent. Also, Sai's old school did the same thing. They never found anything."

"There must be something," Yamato insisted. "No one ends up like that naturally."

"He was taken in by a cousin when he was six years old, after his mother died," Shizune said slowly. "It's quite possible that _she_ was the one who actually abused him, made him the way he is, and that's why they can't find anything now. Because it all happened years ago. It's also possible this cousin used to abuse him and stopped."

"And it's also possible that child services is missing something and this kid's getting the living crap beat out of him every night," Kakashi muttered.

"Which is why we'd like you to try and keep a close eye on him," Tsunade said firmly. "You see anything, any mark no matter how small, tell me, immediately. I agree with you, something's obviously not right. But unless we have proof, there's not much we can do... Sai is only fourteen. I know he's not much of a child anymore, but he's not an adult yet either. He still needs help. That goes for all of them. That's the whole point of this in the first place." She waited a moment for her words to sink in then said, "Anything else, Kakashi?"

He scratched the back of his silver head. "Sakura Haruno... does she really need this?"

Tsunade smirked. "Looks can be deceiving, brat. I'm the one who made sure Sakura was signed up for this. She's not quite as together as she seems. Again, that goes for all of them. They were picked for a reason, even if it doesn't seem obvious."

Yamato cleared his throat. "I have a question. You said there would be two groups of four. Why is ours the only one?"

Shizune bit her lip and looked down at the paper still in her hand. "I've been debating where to put the last student. Apparently he can cause a lot of trouble when he wants to, but if he's calm then... well, then he's calm."

"Who is it?" Asuma asked curiously.

"Gaara Sabaku." She was glad when she didn't get any shivers or disgusted looks, the way some of the teachers acted when the boy was mentioned.

"You can put him in my group," Kurenai immediately offered. "I don't care what other people say, Gaara's always been a sweetheart for me."

"Your group was actually my second choice," Shizune admitted slowly. "Well, really there only are two. Kakashi already has four, and if I put him with Asuma's group, I think he may try and kill Miss Yamanaka."

There were chuckles all around.

"I was hoping really that he could go in Gai's group."

Gai looked a bit perplexed. "I was under the assumption that my group was made up of the sophomores in this program."

Shizune laughed lightly. "No, actually, believe it or not, it just turned out that way. And personality-wise, I'd prefer he went with your group. That is, as long as you believe you can handle him comfortably."

Gai gave her a blinding smile. "You will not have to worry about that. I have already learned how to deal with our feisty little red-headed friend. Despite his lack of respect, he has never caused any outright problems for me. I am sure everything will go swimmingly." There was a slight pause. "Also, if something does go wrong and he attempts to get physical, I am sure I can overpower him."

"That's all I needed to know." She handed Gaara's sheet to the gym teacher. "If there are a lot of problems, we can try moving him to Kurenai's group. But I'd really like to try and avoid that."

"Of course."

Shizune sucked in a breath through her teeth and shot them all a smile. "So, anymore questions?" When no one said anything, she nodded happily. "Again, thank you for your time. Program starts Monday, immediately after school, meet in the main office. If you think of anything you want to ask, please feel free to find me."

There were some murmurs, some nods, shifting as everyone gathered their things to leave, and then it was only her and Tsunade left in the room. Her aunt smiled fondly at her over the rim of her coffee cup. "Excited to finally be getting this underway?"

"You could say that." Excited, yes, but nervous as hell. This project, the whole idea of it and actually putting it into action... it was her baby. If it worked, the possibilities were nearly endless. If it didn't... well, it would just be another failed teenage intervention project. And she really didn't want that.

With a sigh, she decided it wasn't worth it to worry. What happens, happens. She'd just have to wait for Monday and see how it would go.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Hey, babe, you ready to go?"

Ino nearly jumped when she felt the body suddenly appear behind her. Turning to her boyfriend of the week with a winning smile, she switched to her most charming mode. "Sorry, Brian, I can't. My biology teacher called my dad, and now I have to stay after for tutoring."

Brian, a typical jock senior with far more brawn than brains but gorgeous brown eyes, rolled said organs. "Shiranui? What crawled up his ass and died?"

Ino actually felt a twinge of annoyance because Shiranui-sensei was probably her favorite teacher. She had always liked the easy-going, toothpick-sucking, honey-haired man, even if he was on the perverted side. But she dutifully giggled like an airhead, batting her eyelashes at the older boy. "Yeah, I know. But I'll get in a lot of trouble if I don't stay so..."

Brian nodded his understanding, leaning down to peck a quick kiss on her lips. "I got it. Want me to come pick you up after?"

"My dad's already coming, but thanks. I'll give you a call when I get home."

He flashed her a smile full of perfectly straight, white teeth. "Got it. Later, sweetie." And he left her then, slapping her ass on the way.

Frowning, Ino made her way casually to the office, glad the halls were pretty much empty by then. She would die if anyone ever found out what she was really staying for. Thank God her boyfriend was such a moron and didn't realize that science was her best subject. One she currently had an A in. In fact, the only class she had lower than a B in was gym, and that really didn't count. It wasn't her fault she didn't want to run around with that crazy teacher and get all sweaty and disgusting.

"Man, can you believe we gotta stay after school for this crap?"

"Yeah, I know. But at least we're all in it together."

Ino frowned as she poked her head around the corner and watched the two boys disappear into the office. Chouji and Kiba. Just great. So these were the kind of losers she was stuck spending her time with? God, she should just kill herself now and get it over with.

She tentatively walked up to the office door, hearing the voices inside. Taking a deep, calming breath and putting on her 'holier-than-thou' face, she opened the door and walked in, blue eyes immediately scanning the room and the people in it. And feeling slightly sick.

A group of boys, pretty much all of whom were losers were standing against one wall, a much smaller group of girls against the other... Shit, she didn't want to stand with those girls, _Sakura_ was there, and she had heard stories about that Tenten girl. But she couldn't stand alone, that didn't work for her image at all. Maybe she could lure Hinata away from the other two...

Eyes landed on the couch, which she hadn't seen before, and she wanted to leap for joy. Sasuke and Neji. Both of whom were in her social circle. Perfect.

Ignoring the stares, she walked up to the two ravens, both of whom grudgingly shifted to make room for her so she could squeeze between them. Even though the couch was technically a two-seater, the three of them fit all right. After all, how could they not when she was so stunningly thin.

"So, you gotta stay too, huh, princess?"

Kiba again. How annoying. Ice-blue eyes glared at him before they rolled and looked away.

"What's the matter, don't wanna talk to me?"

She actually had no desire to talk to him, mostly because he was one of the few people who absolutely would not back down to her. That, and she was usually spared from having to talk to losers like him. Normally she had a horde of followers to chase them away for her. Now all she had was Sasuke and Neji. And while almost every other male in the school would fall all over themselves trying to please her, these two had always been immune to her charms. And when she pushed too hard, they let her know it. Not something she wanted to happen at the moment. So she took the safest route and just kept her mouth shut, trying not to think about how everyone was staring at her in the suddenly quiet office. God, she just wanted this shit to be over already.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Shizune could never figure out _why_ her aunt insisted on betting. She knew she never won. Hell, the few times she had won, it had been a predestinate for disaster. Yet there she was, betting against Shizune who was a psychologist, about how the kids would congregate in the office.

"In an unfamiliar situation they're going to want to stay together in large numbers. They're also going to want to stick with what's familiar. And, in this kind of situation you'll see the last real vestiges of subconscious gender separation."

Tsunade sighed and took a large gulp of coffee. "Meaning?"

"Pretty much all of the boys will stand together. They'll flock around someone loud and cheerful, like Naruto. Naruto will be the center, and around him will be Kiba, Gaara, and Chouji, his friends. Because Chouji's there, Shikamaru will be there as well. Then you'll see the boys like Shino and Lee who aren't really friends with anyone else here. They're still not going to want to stand alone, though, so they'll stand near the safest group, meaning that group of boys. They'll be close enough to be considered part of the group, but at the same time they'll be on the outside and probably won't contribute to any real conversation with the others. Just the close proximity is enough. Sai will also join the way Shino and Lee do, but the only reason he'll do it is because he feels he has to. Because that's what's most normal, not because he wants to in any way."

"What about the others?"

"Like the boys, the girls will stick together. Sakura and Hinata will stand with each other and Tenten will approach them. Unlike Shino and Lee, she's more sure of herself and will be more comfortable because it's a smaller group. She'll introduce herself to them and join in conversation."

She paused, sipping her diet coke. She never had been much of a coffee drinker. "Then the last three will stick together. Neji, Sasuke, and Ino. Both boys are natural loners and will stick together more out of habit than actually needing to be with someone. Ino will then go to them because she does need to be near someone and they're the only ones acceptable enough for her to spend time with." She gave a wry smile. "After all, those three are so above everyone else."

Tsunade snorted into her coffee. "But of course."

The older lady found rather quickly that she owed her niece twenty bucks, seeing as how the children did _exactly_ as she had said they would. That's what she got for betting against an expert. "They're all here now, do you think we should go out and start?" she asked, peeking at the children through the window set in her office door. Which, of course, was adjoined with the main office housing their group of guinea pigs.

"Not quite yet. I'm curious as to whether or not they'll do anything."

Blond eyebrows raised. "What do you mean 'do anything'?"

It was then that Kiba's loud, boisterous voice could be heard clearly above the idle chatter. "So, you gotta stay too, huh, princess?"

Shizune just smiled. "I meant anything like that."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Asuma exited the teacher's lounge, the smell of cigarettes clinging tightly to his clothes. Thank God he had time to slip away for a smoke break before he had to go pick up his assigned group of kids. He would probably die without it. The fact that he managed to go all day with only lunch and his prep to smoke was amazing, and if he was denied his cigarette at the end of the day he didn't know what would happen.

"Asuma, my good friend!"

The bearded man felt a smile quirk at his lips. He didn't need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. "Hey, Gai, how's it going?"

"Very well, and yourself? You know how bad those cigarettes are for you."

The small smile turned to a full-blown grin and the scolding tone. "Yeah, but y'know...?"

"I will not lecture you seeing as how you are an adult capable of making your own decisions. But I cannot help constantly reminding you."

"I know. Thanks." Brown eyes finally looked over to the man clad all in green, the same as every other day, and he wanted to laugh because he knew just why his eccentric friend did that. Along with why he did a number of other things. "So, Gai, are you ever gonna let the kids know that you're not really quite as crazy as they all think?"

Gai looked horrified at the very idea. "Are you serious? That would ruin the best part of my job."

The math teacher laughed heartily as he pulled open the door to the office just in time to see Kiba shoot a snide remark in Ino's direction. The laughter died immediately. "Problem, Mr. Inuzuka?"

Kiba's head whipped around so fast it was a surprise he didn't get whiplash from the motion. Seeing the frown on the big teacher's face, he lowered his eyes accordingly. "No, sensei."

The door to the principal's office opened then, and Tsunade and Shizune came out just as Kurenai slipped in behind her two coworkers, giving them both her usual, gentle smile.

"All right, brats, listen up," Tsunade barked, commanding immediate attention. "I'm well aware that most if not all of you don't want to be here. But you are, and I expect you to act accordingly. All school rules apply unless your assigned teacher specifically tells you otherwise. So _behave_, or I will deal with the issue personally, and I will call your parents. Are we clear?"

No one said anything, and she took that to mean they all understood. "Good. Now you're going to be split into groups of three and four and sent with your assigned teacher. These groups are both permanent and non-negotiable, so don't bother trying to argue. If you have a legitimate issue with someone else in your group, tell your teacher and we _might_ take it into consideration. But do. Not. Whine."

More silence followed, but now it was the nervous kind, like the children feared for their lives if they did dare say anything. Shizune stepped forward with a bright smile. "Okay then, first group. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, you three are with Yuuhi-sensei."

Kiba shrugged, seemingly indifferent to this, Shino made no move whatsoever, and Hinata offered the woman a small smile.

"Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji, you three are with Sarutobi-sensei."

Ino's face twitched a bit. Shikamaru was okay, he wasn't popular but he was middle of the road... Chouji... ugh...

Shikamaru, on the other hand, grinned at being put with his best friend, and Chouji seemed torn between being happy to be with Shika and horrified at being with Ino.

"Third group is Neji, Tenten, Gaara, and Lee, and you'll be with Maito-sensei."

Tenten scrunched her face up at the news but knew it could be worse... probably. Neji looked as blank as ever, but his whole body stiffened. Gaara's face somehow managed to look even more sour than usual. Lee looked as bright and cheery as if he'd just won the lottery. Of course, that's how Lee usually looked.

"Last group is Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Sai. Your teacher isn't here yet, give him a few minutes." She grinned once more. "And that's all."

"Whaaat? I gotta go with teme?"

"Hn. Dobe."

One look from the large-chested principal and both boys fell immediately silent.

"Now that that's all taken care of you're dismissed." As the children shuffled out of the room and followed their respective teachers, she turned to the remaining four and reiterated, "Your teacher will be here shortly, I'd say ten minutes at most. Now I have work to do, so keep it down and don't break anything." And with that, she disappeared into her office once more, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"Be good," Shizune called over her shoulder to them as she also left.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock as four pairs of eyes stared each other down, all thinking the same thing.

God, this sucked.

* * *

Okay, so there was chapter 2. I hope you all enjoyed.

Some people actually reviewed the first chapter. I was... not expecting this. At all. But I must admit it did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, taking a leaf out of my cousin's book, I will make my very own Wall of Fame for my awesome reviewers. Because they deserve it. Here goes!

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123

Thank you for reviewing!


	3. Just Come Out of the Closet

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Just Come Out of the Closet**

"Okay!" Asuma clapped his hands together and forced a cheery grin. "How about we all introduce ourselves to one another since we're going to be spending so much time together."

The three children stared at him. They had gone to his classroom and were now seated lazily at a group of four desks that had been pulled into a square. Chouji was munching contentedly on a bag of chips, Shikamaru was blinking sleepily, obviously fighting the urge to lay his head down and obviously stoned, and Ino just looked bored and maybe a little pissy at having to be there.

"Uh, sensei, we don't need to introduce ourselves to each other," Shika drawled, glancing at the other two who both nodded their agreement.

Asuma raised a brow. "You guys already know each other? Well?"

"Since we were, like, born," Ino confirmed. "Our dads are friends, so we used to be."

"Oh." Asuma rubbed his beard. "I wasn't aware of that." Though he was sure Shizune had been. There was no way that was a coincidence. "Well, then, how about you introduce yourselves to me a little. Since I don't really know you." He glanced at Shika. "And I don't know you at all."

Shikamaru yawned, but then sat up a little straighter, fixing his bloodshot brown eyes on the teacher. "Shikamaru Nara." Yaaaawn. "Brown hair, brown eyes, birthday's September 22nd, fifteen years old. I want to grow up to have an average life, with an average job, and an average-looking wife, two kids, a girl and then a boy, retire when I'm sixty, and watch the clouds all day. I'm a pretty easy-going guy, and I hate it when things get troublesome."

Asuma blinked. Well that answer from a teenage boy was... unexpected.

"God, Shika, you're so _boring_," Ino groused, frowning prettily at him. "Couldn't you do something just a little bit more exciting than getting high and watching clouds all day?"

The boy smirked at her. "I watch TV sometimes, too."

"And play video games," Chouji added helpfully in between bites.

"I'll kick your ass at any 64 game."

Blue eyes rolled. "You wish."

Asuma found himself smiling as the kids bantered back and forth playfully. They really did seem to know each other well and just plain feel comfortable around each other. "So you guys... used to be friends?"

"Yeah," Ino said, turning her attention back to the older man, eyes narrowed. "What about it?"

She reminded Asuma of a cat when it hissed, fur sticking up. "Nothing. I was just wondering why you aren't friends anymore?"

Shikamaru laughed, looking at him like he was crazy. "You kidding? Ino's way too popular for us lowly nerds. Right, Chouji?"

Chouji said nothing, but the topic seemed to put him on edge.

Ino refused to rise to the bait. "Well sorry we grew apart. I can't believe you two still hang out together."

"Of course we do. If I didn't have Chouji around, what else would I do when I get the munchies?" The lazy boy pointedly reached over and took a chip from the larger boy's bag.

"You know I'm always here for you, man," Chouji said with grave seriousness, offering his friend more of his snack.

Ino snorted at the display and Asuma found himself wanting to do the same. This would certainly be interesting.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Fifteen minutes had passed and the four teens still found themselves sitting in the main office, waiting for their assigned teacher to show up. Or at least three of them were sitting. One was pacing.

"Jesus, Naruto, could you just _hold still_?" Sakura finally snapped, fighting the urge to strangle the hyper blond.

"But he's so _late_," Naruto whined, practically bouncing on the spot. "I can't just sit and stare at a wall like you, I gotta do _something_, dattebayo."

"Then do _something_ less annoying!"

"Hn."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, you agree?"

"Who the hell asked you, teme?"

"Fuck off, dobe."

"Naruto! Don't yell at Sasuke-kun!"

"But, Sakura-chaaaan..."

"Excuse me."

All three teens immediately shut their mouths and turned to their previously silent compatriot. The pale boy smiled in a scary, fake way and asked politely, "Do you know who the teacher is that we're waiting on?"

Blue, green, and black eyes met.

"Well, he's really late."

"And they definitely said it was a 'he'."

"Hn."

The three looked back at Sai and said in unison, "Hatake."

"Did I just hear my name?"

Their gaze turned to the door where a familiar, masked man stood, looking at the teenagers innocently.

"You're late!" Naruto and Sakura cried together, while Sasuke glared silently from his seat.

"Ah yes, about that. You see a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around."

Naruto blinked slowly. "Really?"

For that, Sakura promptly hit him over the head. "No not really, you moron! Are you retarded?"

"Hn. Dobe."

Kakashi sighed. He was already starting to regret ever agreeing to do this.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kurenai had mentally named her group Team Stealth. There was a reason for this, of course. In fact, just glancing at the kids and the reason was rather obvious. Kiba was sporting a baggy hoodie, complete with hood pulled up over his messy, brown hair. Hinata had on an actual coat, again baggy, but she at least kept the hood down. And Shino... well, the boy looked like he had at least six layers of clothing on. There was definitely a sweatshirt of some sort with a high collar, covering half of his face, followed by a baggy coat over top of that with the hood pulled up. And then the whole outfit was completed with a pair of dark sunglasses that she had been told he never took off. Which made her wonder if he had a medical excuse of some sort, considering it was against school dresscode. All in all, though, the boy showed about an inch and a half of skin. It was a bit odd.

"Okay, so do you guys know each other?"

Kiba pulled his eyes away from the posters he had been carefully studying along the Spanish room walls. Like he didn't see them every day. "Sorta. We're in the same grade, went to middle school together..." He shrugged.

"W-we went to elementary school t-together, too, Kiba-kun," Hinata whispered shyly.

Kiba blinked. "Naw, Shino didn't go to elementary school with us."

"Yes, he did."

Shino said nothing during this.

Kurenai cleared her throat, already feeling a bit awkward. "All right, well anyway, how about we tell everyone a little about ourselves. For instance, I'm Kurenai Yuuhi. I'm twenty-seven years old, originally from Chicago, and moved here right after I graduated college. I teach Spanish, as you can see, and have never taught anywhere but this school. I enjoy gardening, reading, and I'm a sucker for crappy soap operas, particularly Days of Our Lives. I hope to get married sometime in the near future and have a couple kids of my own. I also hope we can make the best out of the time we're going to be spending together."

She smiled, and all three of the kids felt themselves relax from her calm, motherly nature. "Kiba, how about you?"

Kiba scratched at one of the red triangles he painted on his face daily and shrugged again. "Sure. I'm Kiba Inuzuka, I'm fourteen, and I, uh, lived here my whole life. Um, I guess I like a lotta usual guy stuff, watching football, playing video games, stuff like that. I really like animals, especially dogs..." He trailed off and shrugged once more.

Kurenai smiled encouragingly. "And what are your plans for the future? At least right now, of course, I know you're only a freshman."

Kiba stared for a moment. "Well, my family owns this dog shelter slash kennel slash vet slash trainer thing. So I always planned on just working there."

Kurenai nodded slowly. "And is that because your family owns it or because it's really what you want to do?"

Kiba found himself genuinely startled by that. No one had ever asked him that kind of question before. "Uh, no, no, that's really what I wanna do. I've always wanted to work with dogs."

Another nod, this one seemingly approving. "Good. Hinata, how about you, sweetie?"

The timid girl looked up, pressing her fingers together in an age-old nervous habit. "Ano... m-my name's Hinata Hyuuga. I'm fourteen, always lived here. I enjoy cooking, reading, and t-tutoring my little sister. The future..." She trailed off uncertainly here, face turning a bit red, head lowering so her bangs covered her eyes. "I haven't really thought much about my future."

Kurenai observed the girl closely, not liking all the hidden implications that last statement could possibly have. "Okay, thanks, Hinata." She smiled sweetly in the direction of the last teen who had yet to say one single word. "Shino, your turn."

There was a blatant, hesitant pause, and Kurenai was worried that maybe the boy had some kind of speech impediment. But when he did finally talk it was in a clear, deep baritone without the slightest hint of trepidation.

"My name is Shino Aburame. I moved here when I was three... and attended elementary school with both Hinata and Kiba."

Kiba winced a bit.

"I'm fourteen. I have several hobbies, but I mostly enjoy reading and studying. I want to be an entomologist in the future."

Kiba immediately perked up and asked curiously, "What's an entymologist?"

"Entomologist," Kurenai corrected patiently.

"I-it's a person who studies insects, Kiba-kun," Hinata quietly informed him.

"Oh yeah? Bugs?" He gave Shino a wolfish smile. "Cool."

Shino said nothing, and Kurenai vaguely wondered how on earth she was ever going to get him to talk about anything truly personal. It seemed hard enough to get him to talk at all.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"**All right, my youthful students! Today is the day we embark on a grand adventure of discovery and learning! The waters may be treacherous, but together we shall persevere to reach the distant shore!" **

Tenten looked like she was about to be physically ill and gripped the table in front of her with white-knuckled hands, Gaara's left eye had already begun to twitch violently, and while Neji may look calm on the outside, inside he was figuring out the different ways he could kill himself using only items found throughout the room. In contrast to them, Lee was looking on with raptured awe. This in turn, increased the other threes' symptoms.

_How can he even stand to listen to that freak?_ Neji sneered in his mind, pale eyes fixed on the slightly taller boy. The angry, little redhead he could deal with. Tenten, he didn't really know her, heard she was some kind of raging, feminist lesbian, but whatever, she was tolerable. But Lee? With Maito-sensei? Seriously? He hated his uncle all the more for making him come to this stupid thing.

"**Are you all acquainted with one another?"** Gai asked the group of children, to which Tenten answered, "Not... really..." and Lee shook his head.

"Hey," Gaara growled, teal eyes narrowed at the bushy-browed face. "Didn't I beat you up once?"

Both Neji and Tenten rose an eyebrow and looked from Gaara to Lee. Lee who enthusiastically nodded and said, "Yes, several years ago at the park! You broke my left arm and leg!"

Tenten looked a bit more alarmed at that and inched away from the freshman she happened to be sitting next to. Neji was torn between being amused and... no, forget it, he was just plain amused.

Gai frowned upon hearing this. "**Will there be a problem if you stay in this group, Gaara-kun?"**

Gaara slowly dragged his eyes over to the gym teacher, face blank. "Why?"

Gai seemed a little taken aback. "**Because you and Lee have a history of fighting." **

Gaara just stared. "I used to fight a lot."

"Shocking," Neji mumbled, wishing he was at home and not in a fucked up therapy session with overzealous teachers and psychotic freshman. At least Gai had brought them to one of the empty science classrooms rather than the gym so he could stare at the posters and other shit on the walls. Mitarashi-sensei really had a thing for snakes...

"**As long as there is no ill will between you two,"** Gai said almost reluctantly. Maybe having Gaara in his group wasn't the best idea after all, but he hadn't known about any bad history with Lee. Had Shizune?

"I do not hold Gaara accountable for his past actions. What's done is done. So long as he does not try to repeat it, I am fine with his presence."

Tenten looked surprised by his answer, and Neji wanted to scoff. Moron. It was just like Lee to say something like that. The crazy, little fucker had broken his bones for Christ's sake, what mildly intelligent person just ignored that?

"**That is very mature of you, Lee! I am pleased to hear you have such a compassionate, forgiving outlook!"**

Gaara seemed just as surprised as everyone else. He scrutinized the boy with the bowl-cut carefully, trying to detect a trick in his words and finding none. Was he really just that nice? Leaning back in his chair, Gaara crossed his arms over his chest. Maybe he would have to pay a bit more attention to the anomaly that was Lee.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kakashi supposed he could have gotten a worse group. After all, these were all decent kids, right?

Never mind the fact that everything in Naruto's life seemed to revolve around instant ramen.

Or that Sakura was no more than the equivalent of a squealing fangirl.

Or that Sasuke was a raging ball of angst who hated his brother.

Or that Sai's smile was just plain fucking creepy.

Because really, there were worse things, right?

"What the hell did you just call me, Sai-bastard?"

"I said dickless would be an appropriate nickname for you, Dickless."

"Fuck you, you pale freak!"

"Hn."

"The fuck are you laughing at, Sasuke-teme?"

"Don't yell at Sasuke-kun!"

"That's right, Dickless, listen to Ugly."

"I-- hey! Who the hell said you could call me that?"

"Stupid prick, don't call Sakura-chan ugly!"

"Hn."

… Maybe he could get Tenzou to take over permanently.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Asuma's fingers twitched desperately to hold a cigarette. Christ, this was torture. "Okay, since we've got no real activity planned for today and it was just meant to get to know each other, let's try a question and answer type of thing. Meaning I'll ask you all a question and you answer. That way I'll get to know you better and you can see just how well you really know each other."

Yaaawn. "Sounds fine."

"Great, we'll start off simple. Favorite type of music."

"Hip-hop and R&B," Ino supplied instantly.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Rock, mostly alternative."

Chouji stopped chewing momentarily. "Indie."

Asuma nodded filing their answers away. "Okay, favorite movie."

Shikamaru sniffed a bit. "Dunno. Probably Lord of the Rings."

"Same."

Asuma focused his gaze on Ino, but she was chewing on her full bottom lip apprehensively. What was the problem?

"... The Notebook."

It took all of the bearded man's strength not to roll his eyes, though the answer didn't surprise him. Typical high school girl answer, picking one of the sappiest romance movies ever made. Not even a classic one at that, a _modern_ one.

He was about to ask another question when sniggers from the two boys cut him off. "Hey, guys, nu-uh," he said sternly, very serious. "You are not going to start laughing at each other's answers." And he meant it to. It didn't matter how cliché it all was, it was Ino's personal opinion and she had every right to it. He wasn't going to let the boys act like a couple of jerks.

"Sorry, sensei," Shika said, still chuckling. "But she's lying."

Asuma blinked, totally confused. "What?"

"Her favorite movie is _definitely _not The Notebook. Not even close."

"Shut up, Shika," the blond girl snapped, looking thoroughly irritated now. "Mind your own damn business."

Asuma felt his brow furrow. So the girl _was_ lying. Why bother?

Shikamaru sensed his confusion and took it upon himself to explain. "Y'see, she doesn't want people knowing that she's actually a closet nerd. Big time. And so saying things like her favorite movie is Star Wars wouldn't fit in with her preppy, cheerleaderesque image. So she decides to make up something that would fit." He turned sleepy brown eyes onto the blond. "The Notebook, though, Ino? Really?"

"Fuck you, Shika, you're high as a fucking kite!"

"At least my favorite movie's not The Notebook."

"All right, that's enough," the teacher stepped in, cutting off the fight before it could get into full swing. Turning back to the girl he fixed her with his best authoritative look. "Ino, what's your favorite movie really?"

The girl set her jaw firmly and looked out the window and over the parking lot for a moment before looking back at him, visibly pissed. "Star Wars, more specifically the first or fourth one depending on how you want to look at it, originally just called Star Wars and more recently called A New Hope."

Asuma tilted his head slowly, seeing the girl in a whole new light. Closet nerd indeed. "And you lied...?"

She snorted and looked away again. "Smartass over there already told you, didn't he?"

"Uh-huh." Asuma sighed and scrubbed a hand over his beard. "Okay, guys, here's the deal. I'm pretty lax with this whole thing, notice how I didn't care when you swore earlier. I know you probably don't wanna be here, and as long as you behave in a half-decent manner, I don't care what you do. But there _are_ a few special rules you have to follow, and they're really important for this whole thing, okay?"

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Number one," Kurenai said. "You will always respect each other. I don't expect you to be best friends and always get along. I know you're going to argue, I know you'll disagree on things, that's fine. But if someone shares something, especially something personal, you will be respectful. You will not laugh at them, you will not put them down, you will not make them feel bad about themselves in any way. Are we clear?"

All three kids nodded.

"Good. Number two--"

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Anything anyone says here will not be repeated outside of the group. Everything is confidential. We have been given permission by the principal and the schoolboard to expel anyone who breaks this rule. That's right, Sakura, I did say expel. Your parents also agreed to this when they signed the permission forms." One lone grey eye narrowed at them sharply. "You will not repeat what is said here, not to anyone. I don't care how much you dislike the person or how hilarious you think it would be to spread their personal business throughout the school. If it happens, you _will_ be sorry. Think carefully before you do something stupid."

He looked at everyone except the blond. This was one stupid thing he was just sure Naruto would never do.

"**The third rule is that you may not lie."**

Tenten raised her eyebrows at the green-clad teacher. "Excuse me?"

"**Yes, dear Tenten-chan, it is as I said. Lying is not permitted within this group. If there is something you do not wish to discuss, a question you do not wish to answer, simply say so and the matter shall be dropped. You will not be forced to talk about anything you don't want to. But if you do decide to talk, you may not lie. About anything." **

"Why?" Gaara demanded, looking more curious than anything.

Gai simply smiled. "**It's the rules."**

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kakashi quickly came to realize exactly what Tenzou and Asuma had meant when they said Sai had no emotions. The boy was literally like a blank slate. He felt nothing. Hell, he had said as much himself. When talking about his likes and dislikes his answer had been, "I neither really like nor dislike anything." And he had been dead serious. It was disturbing.

Of course, not surprisingly, was that along with his lack of emotions came a lack of certain social graces. To put it simply, the boy was a social retard. There were certain times he would do or say something just because he knew that was the appropriate thing to do or say, but it was never genuine. Because he just didn't feel anything. And most of the time he was so blunt he came off as being just plain rude. As was shown with the nicknames he decided to give the rest of the group.

Naruto had been immediately dubbed Dickless, though Kakashi wasn't sure exactly why. He could only figure the pale boy was taking a shot at the blond's masculinity; which really didn't make much sense seeing as how effeminate Sai was himself.

Next had been Sakura, who was deemed now and forever more as Ugly. Something Kakashi didn't even think was true. Sakura wasn't a beauty or anything, but she most certainly wasn't ugly. She had a fresh, clean, girl next door type of look, and really could be considered pretty. Either Sai was just being a jerk or she wasn't his type of girl.

Kakashi had half-heartedly scolded the strange boy for both of these new nicknames, but he was rather blatantly ignored. It became pretty clear the names were there to stay.

What confused Kakashi was why Sasuke had yet to get a special 'term of endearment' from Sai. He thought at first the pale boy couldn't think of anything for the boy who could practically be his long-lost twin brother, but it quickly became rather apparent that Sai just had too many in mind and was having difficulty settling for one. He finally decided on Emo-Duck.

Kakashi wanted to scold him like he had about the others, he really did. But it was just so damn accurate. He couldn't do it.

"Hn. Go fuck yourself," Sasuke muttered in response to his new name. Though a few moments later, they all witnessed him run a hand subconsciously over his duck-ass shaped hair.

Sai smiled.

"So, Sai, since we've got nothing in particular to talk about and about ten more minutes to kill," Kakashi drawled, looking even more bored than usual, "if you could give me a nickname without getting into trouble (which you can't), what would it be?"

Naruto, who had been intently drumming on his desk, immediately stopped and regarded the pale boy curiously, as did Sasuke and Sakura. Well, at least Kakashi had managed to get their full attention with something.

Sai stared at him for a moment, dark eyes running up and down his body once or twice, a somewhat thoughtful expression on his face. Finally, "Pirate. That or Pervert." He paused. "Pervert the Pirate."

Kakashi blinked slowly. The Pirate one he understood, what with his eyepatch and all, but Pervert? "Why Pervert?"

Sai didn't have to answer. Naruto snorted loudly and said, "What, you really don't know? You read porn on your breaks. Everyday!"

Well, now Kakashi felt just plain stupid. He hadn't realized the students had picked up on that. He didn't even keep it in the classroom, it was always in the teacher's lounge. He had no desire to get his ass fired.

"Really, Hatake-sensei, give us a little credit," Sakura added with an eye roll.

"Hn."

Kakashi pushed thoughts of his reading habit from his mind at the sound of his name. "I forgot to tell you: don't call me that here."

Naruto's face scrunched in confusion. "What, Pervert?"

"No, Hatake-sensei. During regular school hours you have to, but here you're not supposed to."

Naruto seemed excited by this. "Can we call you Pervert then?"

Kakashi glared his way. "No. Call me Kakashi-sensei."

All four kids stared blankly.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura finally repeated. "Your first name?"

"Yes." He gave them his typical, upturned eye smile. "We were originally going to just have you call us by our first names, but apparently that was a bit too lax. The board wanted something in between. So we stuck sensei back on the end."

"That's retarded," Sasuke said instantly.

"Yes, it is, but it's the board's decision, not mine."

"No, I mean calling you something different than we usually do. It's retarded." Cold, dark eyes fixed on him sharply, mouth set firmly in a hard frown. "It's stupid to think that just because we call you something more casual here we're gonna suddenly treat you like you're our friend and tell you all our secrets. Not even Naruto's dumb enough to fall for that."

None of the others said anything, but Kakashi could see they all agreed. All of them, even Sai, suddenly looked more guarded, and watched Kakashi like he was the enemy, trying to steal something valuable from them. The fairly relaxed atmosphere had vanished.

"Yes, well, it's still not my decision." Kakashi decided the best thing to do was just keep smiling.

* * *

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle

Thank you for reviewing!


	4. Surviving Cousins and Siblings

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Surviving Cousins and Siblings**

The second they were told they could go, all of the children bolted. Some much more enthusiastically than others. Naruto, for instance, let out a cry of joy and literally ran out of the room and down the hall. Ino was much more dignified about the whole thing, but she too was immediately on her feet and striding towards the door, ignoring Shika's taunting call of, "See you tomorrow, Ino-love." Neji did the same thing Ino did, but at least no one called something stupid after him. He probably would have killed them. Sasuke was quick to leave, trying to fend off Sakura's insistent voice asking if he wanted to do anything together, and Tenten moved quickly, though that was mostly because she wanted to head over to the weight room to work out a little. Basketball started in a week, after all.

Kurenai should probably have felt most proud of herself considering none of her kids felt the need to hurry away. They all left calmly, even the antsy Kiba, and Hinata gave her a shy, little smile and a, "G-goodbye, sensei," before scurrying out the door. Leaning back in her chair with a sigh, the woman just knew she had lucked out with her group.

A few halls away, Asuma was thinking basically the same thing. His kids bickered quite a bit, but nothing truly malicious, and they just melded together so well. It was a surprise they had known each other since they were little, but not really a bad one. Really, he could see how this could make things a lot easier on him. Once they got a bit more reacquainted with each other again, they would be comfortable around each other. Rather than learning to trust from nothing, it was more like they were just relearning it. And that was always easier, right?

Gai would have been distraught by his group's lack of cooperation and enthusiasm... if he was anyone other than Gai. But, being him, he just took it all in stride and turned it into a challenge. He would definitely get the kids to get along and open up. It was important to always have a positive outlook.

Kakashi decided he had angered God in some way. That was the only reason he would have been put with the four bundles of hormones he had been stuck with. Or really three bundles of hormones. One was a bundle of purely fucked-up something that didn't even have a name. And dear Lord could those four fight. Naruto and Sakura were so fucking loud... What the hell had he done to deserve this?

"Tanuki-chan!"

The second Gaara stepped out of the school building he found himself in the arms of an especially hyperactive blond. While he never made any move to return the embrace, he allowed it all the same. Something he never would have done before meeting his friend. "Naruto."

"God, that was fucking _horrible_! Stupid Sasuke-teme and that weird Sai-bastard." Blue eyes blinked down at the smaller boy. "How was yours?"

Gaara shrugged. "Pointless and annoying."

"I agree. Way too troublesome."

Gaara looked up at the ponytailed brunette who had come to stand beside them with Chouji at his side. He really didn't know Shikamaru except by sight, but he seemed all right and he was very close with Chouji. And Gaara had come to like Chouji. So he supposed Shikamaru could be another one of his acquaintances.

Kiba came up to them, saying his time wasn't bad it just seemed stupid, while Gaara watched a boy covered from head to toe (Shino if he remembered correctly) cross the parking lot and climb into the passenger seat of a parked car, which then pulled away. Lee started to walk home, from the looks of it, and Sai came out of the building, immediately heading for a car in much the same way as Shino had.

"Hey, you guys know Hinata, right?" Kiba suddenly asked loudly, slinging his arm around the unsuspecting girl and pulling her into their circle. If Gaara had been anyone else he would have rolled his eyes. Leave it to Kiba to actually start making friends with his group.

"Dumbass, of course we know Hinata-chan!" Naruto nearly yelled, waving his arms for unneeded emphasis. "Hi, Hinata-chan!"

The dark-haired girl had turned so red no one would have been surprised if she had passed out then and there. "H-hello, N-naruto-kun."

Gaara watched his friend continue to talk about something random, he didn't really pay attention. His eyes were locked on the shy girl still trapped in Kiba's grip. How could Naruto be so blind to not see how crazy about him she was?

"Hinata-sama, we're leaving."

Neji's cold, firm voice cut through Naruto's rantings, as the boy brushed past their group, neither bothering to stop or even look at the girl he was addressing. He just continued making his way towards a waiting town car.

Hinata squeaked something, though the words were unintelligible and hurried after the moody older boy while Kiba and Naruto both frowned in his direction. "Geez, someone oughtta pull the stick outta his ass," Kiba murmured while the blond nodded emphatically in agreement. Arrogant jerk.

Speaking of arrogant jerks, another chose then to make his way from the building, a starry-eyed, pink-haired girl following in his wake. She had apparently given up trying to talk to him, but that didn't stop her from drooling over his very presence. Once she spotted the group watching them, though, her eyes scanned over them all, seemingly looking for someone.

"Hinata left already," Shikamaru said helpfully, knowing that had to be who she wanted.

After looking startled, Sakura offered him a small smile and a, "Thanks, Shika," before turning and starting to walk home. Not, of course, until after she had thoroughly ignored Naruto's hearty, "Bye, Sakura-chaaaan!" and said her own, "Goodbye, Sasuke-kun!"

Kiba snorted, giving Naruto his typical 'you're crazy' look. "Man, why do you bother? She's never been anything but a bitch to you."

Naruto immediately scowled. "That's not true. And don't call her a bitch, Kiba."

The brunette instantly backed off, not wanting to start a fight over something so pointless. If Naruto wanted to keep setting himself up to be treated like crap, let him.

All sets of eyes turned towards the sound of a car engine coming closer, watching as a tasteful, black Porsche pulled up in front of them. Ino, who had somehow managed to blend into the shadows, pink hoodie and all, emerged and made her way towards it.

"Oh, Ino-love, we didn't notice you there," Shika said in a mock-pleasant voice while the girl ignored him like it was her job. The car window rolled down however and a middle-aged blond man smiled at the group of boys. "Shikamaru, Chouji. How have you two been?"

"Hey, Mr. Yamanaka," Shika said pleasantly, lazy smile in place. "We're good. You?"

"Oh, it could be worse," the man said congenially, as Ino climbed into the passenger seat. He opened his mouth again, about to prolong the conversation when Ino snapped, "Dad, I'm in a hurry!" The man rolled his eyes heavenward, begging for the patience necessary in dealing with teenage girls, and gave the boys one last friendly nod. "Tell your parents I said hi."

"Will do," Shika agreed, as the window rolled up and the car pulled away.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at the exchange, mildly curious. "You guys neighbors or somethin'?"

"Our dads are all friends from high school," Shika said with a small shrug. "We've known him for forever."

"He's a nice guy," Chouji put in, feeling much more free to talk now that Ino was officially gone.

A sleek, red sports car came rolling up, followed closely behind by an old, beat-up, white Chevy. Kiba sighed. "Now I just feel poor."

The others chuckled as he made his way to the car, his mother's voice calling, "Let's go, pup, we don't got all day!"

"Yeah, yeah, Ma, I'm comin'."

Sasuke, however, was the one who truly seemed to be taking his time. His usual brooding expression had somehow managed to darken and he glared at the expensive automobile like he was loathe to actually get in. While he very slowly righted himself from where he'd been leaning against the wall, adjusting his bag unnecessarily, and walking over to the car with all the speed of an old turtle, Kiba had already gotten in with his mother and driven away. With a decent amount of visible reluctance, he opened the passenger side door, and the four remaining boys heard a smooth voice say from inside the car, "It's lovely to see you too, little brother."

Sasuke didn't answer, not even his usual 'hn', just got in, shutting the door with more force than necessary before the car sped away. Naruto blinked.

"Teme's such a moody bastard."

"I agree," Gaara growled as Iruka pulled up, offering the four boys a bright smile. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Umino-sensei," Shikamaru said while Chouji repeated the same a moment later. At least Iruka thought that's what the larger boy said. He had opened another bag of chips, and the words had come out somewhat muffled.

"Do you boys all have rides?"

Shika and Chouji both nodded, causing the scarred brunette's eyes to fall on the smallest of the group. "Gaara, is someone coming to get you?"

Gaara shrugged. "My sister doesn't get off work for another hour." Which meant no.

"Why don't you come over for dinner?" Naruto asked happily, bouncing over to the waiting car.

The boy gave the slightest shake of his head. "She expects me home today."

"Well hop in, I can still give you a ride," Iruka offered, smile widening.

Gaara frowned. "It's out of your way."

The previously pleasant tone quickly died, and when Iruka spoke next it was in his best teacher's voice. "Gaara Sabaku, you get in this car so I can drive you home."

Gaara immediately scurried to comply.

"Later," Chouji called after them, mouth full, and it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds before the last vehicle arrived. Shikamaru and Chouji made their way to the pick-up, the smaller of the two drawling a lazy, "Hey, Dad," and obligingly climbing in the back, leaving the front seat for his larger friend.

And with that, all the children were gone, and the first day of the new project officially came to an end. Out of all the kids, only Shikamaru had noticed Shizune and Tsunade watching them from the window of the office. Not that he really cared. It was all way too troublesome.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Neji wasn't exactly a happy camper. He sat in the back of the car his uncle had sent to pick them up in silence, his cousin on the seat next to him, pressed firmly against her door, eyes staring rigidly out the window. His shy, weak, pathetic little cousin. Who no one had bothered to inform him also had to stay for the same fucked-up after school program as himself. Imagine his surprise when he walked into the office at the end of the day and there she was, staring at him in shock. Meaning no one had bothered to tell her that he was staying either. A fact that was particularly annoying since his uncle had to have given permission for both of them. Would it really have killed the old bastard to let them know? Just a random side comment maybe? 'Oh, by the way, your cousin will be staying after school as well.' Something like that. But no, common courtesy of the like was not something his uncle was known for. And it fucking pissed him off.

For a total of about half a second, Neji considered asking Hinata how the time with her group had gone, seeing as how she at least had a normal teacher supervising and not the insane, green-wearing freak of a gym teacher. But that would require actually _talking_ to the pathetic, stuttering girl, and that was something he had absolutely no desire to do. No matter how morbidly curious he was to know about that Shino kid who was in his elective computer class and always looked like he was dressed to brave the arctic winter. Now _there_ was an odd one.

The car, driven by some low-level lackey from his uncle's company, pulled up in front of the spacious Hyuuga home, which could practically be called a mansion, and both teens climbed out, making their way quickly inside. Once there, they were immediately bombarded by the loud bundle of sugar-high brat that was Hanabi. The nine year old bounced around them, chattering about God only knew what, apparently simply amazed that she now arrived home earlier than the two high schoolers, and demanding to know why they had to stay after school now because her father wouldn't tell her. Meaning he had at least taken the time to tell her that her sister and cousin would be home later than usual. Neji frowned. Of course he had, Hanabi was his precious little princess.

"So why do you need to stay? Neechan, tell me why! Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Good God, he'd been home less than a minute and already he wanted to strangle her.

"Hanabi, Neji and I need to stay after school for a special program that we were specifically chosen for. That's all."

Neji scowled and said nothing. How the hell could Hinata be so damn calm with the little monster?

"A program you're both in? What the hell kinda program would the two of you be in together? Neechan's a moron and niisan's a prick."

He really would hit her if his uncle wouldn't kill him for it.

"Hanabi, you know better than to say things like that. Apologize to Neji-niisan."

Now this is one of the reasons Neji couldn't stand Hinata. Hanabi had insulted her too. Why was it only him the little devil needed to apologize to?

In a voice riddled with sarcasm the younger girl turned to her cousin and said, "Sorry, niisan, that was very rude of me. I should never have called you a prick to your face."

Damn brat. "That's quite all right, Hanabi-sama. I know how hard it is for you to not do something stupid."

Hanabi's pale eyes flashed, intrigued by the insult and far too used to them to take it to heart. Neji rarely said anything mildly kind, after all.

Deciding that if he stayed around the two girls one second longer his brain just might explode, Neji turned on his heel and started up the stairs, intent on getting to his bedroom to do his homework. He had a 4.0 GPA to maintain after all.

"Uh, n-niisan."

He paused, glaring over his shoulder at the girl who dare cause him delay. "What?"

"I-I was j-j-just w-wondering... th-th-that is... I w-w-wanted t-to know--"

"Just _spit it out_, Hinata!"

"W-w-w-was there-anything-you-wanted-for-dinner-tonight?"

He blinked. "Why don't you ask your brat sister what she wants?"

"Sh... she p-p-picked last night, n-niisan. It's y-y-your t-turn."

He blinked again. Oh. "That alfredo stuff you make. With the chicken and the broccoli."

She seemed to brighten a bit. "Ah, o-okay. I'll s-s-start it r-right away, niisan."

He gave her a curt nod, continuing his assent of the stairs. He really couldn't stand her... But she was an excellent cook.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Itachi wasn't surprised when Sasuke didn't say one word to him on the ride home. His brother rarely talked to him anyway, and he was in a particularly foul mood that evening. Most likely because Itachi had forced him to attend the after school therapy program that he _did not_ want to go to. Unfortunately, he really needed it.

"So, little brother, how was your first day?"

His question was met with only an angry silence.

"Come now, it can't be that bad."

More silence. Angrier, if that was possible. Itachi knew when his brother wasn't going to cooperate, and in this case, it really wasn't worth pushing him about it. Sasuke could pout as much as he wanted, Itachi wasn't going to let him drop out of the program, especially not after one day. In truth, it was the older boy's last hope. He had sent Sasuke to see therapists before, nothing worked. His brother just got angrier the older he got, and most of that anger was directed at him. He wasn't sure what to do. He had been downright ecstatic when the school psychologist contacted him, explaining what the after school program was about. He didn't care if it was technically an untested project, all the tested, proven methods had failed to work when it came to Sasuke, so maybe something different was what the boy needed to...

To just not be so damn angry all the time.

"I need to head back to work for another hour or so. Do you want me to drop you off at home or do you want to come with me?"

The look Sasuke sent him would have had most people running away screaming. Itachi thus took the appropriate road to go back towards their house.

"Make sure you do your homework. It's the cook's night off, so I'll pick up dinner on my way home."

Sasuke's reply was to slam the car door and march up the front stairs without a backwards glance. Itachi sighed. "Fair enough."

He backed out of the driveway and sped off in the direction of downtown. It only took about fifteen minutes to enter the city limits and another five from there to reach his business. Akatsuki Tattoo and Piercing. His baby.

The Uchiha family had once owned a multi-million dollar corporation, known as Sharingan Corp. Their local offices stood proudly as one of the two tallest skyscrapers in the city, matched by only their top rival, Byakuugan Inc. That had been back when his grandfather was alive and running the company. His grandfather passed away shortly before his parents did, leaving the company in the hands of his much younger brother, Madara Uchiha, Itachi and Sasuke's great uncle who was closer to the age of the boys' father than their grandfather.

When their parents died, custody of the two boys had actually gone to Madara, but it really didn't make one bit of difference. Madara let the boys keep their childhood home, staying in his own home himself, and the boys saw him about once every three months or so when he dropped by to make sure they were both still alive and kicking. Anyone who bothered to question the arrangement was quickly deterred with a hefty payoff.

Despite his polite and kind treatment of both boys whenever they met, Itachi knew something wasn't entirely right with Madara. That was one of the reasons he took official custody of his brother the day he turned eighteen, despite Sasuke's near-violent protests. And he was very glad he did when three months later Madara was arrested on a number of charges, all kinds of things like money laundering and tax evasion. And when this happened, Itachi suddenly found himself in charge of Sharingan Corp., which had managed to survive the dirty deeds of his uncle.

To put it simply, Itachi wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the business. He respected his grandfather and everything he had worked to build, but he just was not a businessman. He was an artist, and nothing else could possibly make him happy. So he cut his losses with the business, gave all of his workers from the highest-ranking salesman to the lowest janitor a hefty parting gift, and officially shut down Sharingan Corp. This in turn left him with a copious amount of money, most of which he either invested or put away while he continued art school. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about finances until he was thirty so long as he didn't get stupid.

To say his little brother was upset about him closing down their grandfather's business was a major understatement. The last time Itachi had seen Sasuke that angry, and at him as well, was when their parents had died. Luckily, he had gotten good over the years at ignoring his brother's glares, hateful words, and death threats. He would just smirk and poke him on the forehead. "Sorry, Sasuke. Had to do what I had to do." It was also the same line he had used when their parents had died. It had only served to infuriate the boy more.

Then about a year ago, Itachi and his friend Deidara had a brilliant idea. Both were excellent artists and had determined that being tattoo artists was right for them. The real deal, though, not those half-assed wannabes you could find in half-rate parlors across the country. The problem was that though there were quite a few tattoo parlors spread throughout the city that they could probably get hired at, none of them were _good enough_ for the kind of art the two long-haired boys wanted to make. So why not just open their own place?

Itachi had dug into his monumental funds and bought a place in the downtown commercial district for a hefty sum. Deidara lured his friend Pein, a piercing specialist, away from his current job to come work with them, and between the three of them, Akatsuki was born. Pein's girlfriend Konan, another piercer, came with him, and Itachi and Deidara sought out several more tattoo artists to fill their staff. Because of the quality work they produced along with the clean, businesslike atmosphere they upheld, it only took about six months before they were absolutely raking in the profit. Everyone knew what and where Akatsuki was, and they had single-handedly managed to put two smaller parlors out of business. Itachi felt like a proud father. Even Sasuke, who had at first complained about him wasting their grandfather's money, had shut up rather quickly. He knew a success when he saw it.

Now Itachi spun into the parking lot, straight into his personal reserved space, locking his car securely as he made his way inside. Kakuzu looked up from where he was leaning over a display case, talking with two teenage girls about the difference between a barbell and a ring when first getting some kind of piercing or other, Itachi hadn't heard enough to figure out just what. Just from looking at the two bleach blonds he would wager they wanted a navel piercing. And he was rarely wrong about these things.

"Your five o'clock just got here," Kakuzu informed him as he stripped off his coat. "Room 3."

Itachi nodded his understanding, pointedly ignoring the giggling girls who had turned full attention onto him. It wasn't like he wasn't used to women of all ages constantly trying to flirt their way into his bed. Too bad for them he had absolutely no interest.

Making his way back, he exchanged nods with Sasori, the red head just gathering his things to leave for the day. He could hear Hidan further down the hall talking to a customer in his usual, oh-so-polite manner over the whine of his equipment. And as he peeked into room 2 as he walked past he saw Konan leaning over another customer, apparently doing a tongue piercing. Everything was normal.

Entering room 3, his eyes flickered to the girl there, probably about seventeen, and her mother sitting in a chair next to her. He always found it amusing when middle-aged women in business suits or homely sweaters came in with their underage, teenage children, for piercings or tattoos. Not because he personally found anything wrong with it, just because his mother would never have done that for him. But then, that was mostly because his father would never have allowed it.

"Hello, my name's Itachi Uchiha. I'll be doing your tattoo today. You've filled out all the necessary paperwork already?"

The girl, who had blushed the moment Itachi had entered the room, glanced shyly towards her weary-looking mother, clearly expecting her to answer. "Yes, the man at the front counter did all that."

Itachi nodded. He had asked more as a formality than anything really. Kakuzu would never let anyone take one step into the back rooms without getting everything in order first. He went to work quickly setting up his equipment, pulling out the folder of drawings he had made for his different customers and finding the girl's name. He expected something simple and mundane from the girl's appearance, and he wasn't disappointed. Three stars in a curved line, going from large to small in varying bright colors. Typical. And very girly. Normally simple designs like this were left for people like Hidan or Sasori or even Kisame. Not that they were bad artists, they just weren't as good as Itachi or Deidara. The two ponytailed men normally did all the particularly complex design their parlor was known for. But sometimes even they had to bite the bullet and take care of the mundane, unimaginative teenagers who all wanted a tattoo for their birthday.

He again wasn't surprised when the girl said she wanted it in the usual 'tramp stamp' location of her lower back. He simply nodded, finished getting everything ready, and got the girl in the correct position so he could start his work. Hopefully she wouldn't be one of the ones who cried.

And as he shaded in a pink star while the girl had, of course, tears streaming down her face and her mother looking exasperated, telling her that she should have known it would hurt, he bit back a sigh. He loved his job, he truly did, but occasionally it just plain sucked.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"--and it wasn't _just_ teme, there was this really weird kid Sai too. He had this creepy, fake smile and he says he doesn't feel anything. How can you not feel anything? Seriously, there's something _wrong_ with him, Iruka, like really. And then Sakura-chan was there, and she was hanging _all over_ stupid Sasuke-teme and--"

Gaara pressed his forehead against the glass of the car window, watching as they got closer to the apartment he shared with his siblings. He loved Naruto to death, really, but dear God the boy could talk. And he just _knew_ Iruka was thinking the same thing.

"Were you at least behaved, Naruto?" the elementary school teacher demanded, tone light but warning at the same time.

Naruto made a sputtering noise of protest before nodding emphatically. "Of _course_ I was, Iruka, honest! I didn't get in any trouble. You can call and ask Kakashi-sensei if you want!"

Iruka reached over and patted the blond head affectionately. "That's all right, Naruto, I was just checking. I don't really need to call..." He paused, brow furrowing as he shot his young charge an odd look. "Did you just call your teacher by his first name?"

"Uh-huh, we're supposed to. He said it was parta the program. Right, Gaara?"

Gaara pulled his attention from the scenery and fixed bored, teal eyes on the two in front of him. "Right. Gai-sensei."

Iruka looked back at him through the rearview mirror, brown eyes sparkling with mirth. "Gai-sensei? Gai Maito?"

Gaara's frown deepened. "Yes." If he didn't like Iruka so much he would be sorely tempted to punch him right then.

Naruto's chattering immediately picked back up, and a minute later Iruka pulled into the apartment parking lot, giving Gaara a smile and a goodbye.

"Bye, Tanuki-chan!"

Gaara nodded his own farewell, keying in the combination at the front door so the automatic lock would open for him and climbing the stairs to his third floor apartment. There weren't many apartment buildings in the area, most people actually owning houses, but his sister had found one of the few. It was a decently nice place, only five floors high, the apartments ranging from two to four bedroom. They had a three bedroom with a fairly spacious living area, kitchen, and bathroom. Unlike his siblings, it was probably the nicest place Gaara had ever lived.

He tried the door to find it unlocked. Meaning Kankurou was home. And sure enough, there he was, sitting on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, TV blaring. "Hey, Gaara. How was the shrink thing?"

Gaara decided that didn't warrant an answer.

"Aw, c'mon, it couldn't be that bad."

"Maito-sensei was the teacher in charge of my group."

There was a brief pause as a look of absolute horror slowly crossed his brother's face. "Well that's... that's just horrible."

The redhead said no more, turning and making his way to his bedroom. His own room, where no one told him he wasn't allowed to shut the door or alternatively kept him locked in. Where he could come and go as he pleased and didn't have to share. It was the first time he had ever had that. It was nice.

"Hey, do your homework!" Kankurou yelled after him as he closed the door softly behind him. Like he didn't already know. Like Temari wouldn't skin him alive if his grades dropped too low. She said she didn't want anything below C's. He could do that for her.

So when she got home a little over an hour later, bags in both hands, he was already done with his assignments. He sat quietly curled up in the armchair, paying fleeting attention to whatever it was Kankurou had on the TV, more focused on stroking the purring cat in his lap. His cat. She had been his birthday present last March. When Temari had asked him what he wanted and he told her a kitten, she had gotten all teary-eyed for some reason and hugged him. A week later, the coal black kitten had been presented to him along with litterbox, food dish, and other pet essentials. At the shelter, the cat had been given the temporary name of Cuddles. Gaara then proceeded to name her Sabertooth. In his opinion, she had seemed rather grateful.

Temari took one look at the scene before her and made a face. "Kankurou, get off your lazy ass, and go get the rest of the groceries from the car."

She set the bags down on the table, immediately veering over to Gaara and planting a quick kiss to his forehead, right overtop of his tattoo. "Hey, sweetie."

Gaara flushed red and muttered a soft hello. Temari was always extra affectionate with him, both to make up for lost time and the lack of it he'd had in the past. It wasn't that he didn't like it, it was just that he still wasn't used to it and was never sure exactly how to take it.

"I'm gonna throw a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner. Pepperoni for us, but I got you mushroom. That okay?"

"Yeah." He was touched by the way she always made sure to take into account that he was a vegetarian. None of the homes had ever done that. He either ate what they gave him or starved. When he had moved in with his siblings and they actually _cared_ about what he wanted... it had been a whole new experience for him. One he unfortunately couldn't learn to trust right away. It had taken Naruto to help him with that.

Twenty-five minutes later they were sitting around the table. It wasn't every day they ate together, only Mondays, in fact. Temari was constantly at work or school, there were times when she left just as Gaara was waking up and got home after he had gone to bed. She really didn't need to work so hard, their late father had left them plenty of money, but she insisted on putting as much of that away as humanly possible. She was saving it. For Kankurou and Gaara. For growing up in a rich home, she was really quite frugal.

Regardless, Mondays were the days she was always home for dinner, and she had thus insisted that both her brothers be home as well. She wanted one meal a week where they sat down together as a family. Gaara was pretty sure it was mostly for his benefit, but he had never said anything about it. With everything Temari did for them, both boys could spare her one evening a week.

"So, Gaara, how was the... program?"

Gaara frowned in his sister's direction while Kankurou snickered. "He got put in Maito-sensei's group."

Temari froze, slice of pizza half way to her mouth, eyebrows raised. "The gym teacher? The one you got in trouble with and got me called to the school for?"

Kankurou started cracking up. "Yeah, that one. So tell us, Gaara, how is the power of youth?"

The smaller boy's expression darkened, and Temari sent a swift kick to Kankurou beneath the table. Her eyes said all the boy needed to know. _Ease off._ Teasing Gaara a little was okay, but there was a very fine line you had to be careful about crossing. The last thing she needed was for Gaara to start giving her a hard time about staying after school for the program. She really thought it could do him some good.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. The man was a little eccentric, but he seemed like a good guy. He probably just takes some getting used to."

Kankurou half-heartedly agreed, not wanting Temari angry with him, and Gaara chewed his pizza moodily. Just took some getting used to... If he ever really got used to Gai-sensei's utter insanity, he would willingly let them lock him up again. Even he wasn't that crazy.

* * *

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller

Thank you for reviewing!


	5. I Set My Friends on Fire

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 5: I Set My Friends on Fire**

One week passed and the program continued. Not much changed since the first day. Kakashi's group was still loud and got into name-calling screaming matches every day. Gai's group was still standoffish and horrified with the exception of the overzealous Lee. Asuma's group still alternated between acting like the best of friends one minute and then bickering like pissy cats and dogs the next. And Kurenai's group still acted like a bunch of angels, Kiba's loud nature easily making up for his quiet classmates. It was going just as Shizune had expected. And it was time to start slowly putting things into action.

Sakura dragged herself to Kakashi-sensei's classroom, especially tired that day after having pulled an all-nighter studying for her advanced chem class. She had doubled up on math and science that year, taking algebra and geometry as well as biology and chemistry. She was the only freshman even _in_ her chem class. Those, along with advanced American History 9 and advanced English Lit. 9 often left her feeling a little overwhelmed. She smirked. It was totally worth it, though.

Slipping inside and flopping down ungracefully between a brooding Sasuke and bored-looking Naruto, she pulled her bag into her lap and started digging through it for her algebra homework. This had become routine after the first day when the kids had become aware that they'd be waiting for Kakashi somewhere between ten and twenty minutes. She could get whole assignments done in that time depending on what they were.

When the door opened again she glanced up disinterestedly, expecting to see Sai standing there with his stupid smile. She was surprised when instead there was a teacher. One whose name she couldn't remember for the life of her, but she was sure he taught English for upperclassmen. Was he looking for Hatake?

"Kakashi-sensei's not here," Naruto immediately said, thinking along the same lines as Sakura. "He'll probably get here in about fifteen minutes, though, if you wanna come back."

The man scratched the back of his shaggy brown head awkwardly. "Ah, no. I'm actually here for you guys."

"Anbu-sensei?" Sai's distinctive baritone drew their attention to the pale boy blinking at the teacher in what they suspected was probably a startled way. "Why are you here?"

Anbu-sensei (_That's right_, Sakura thought, mentally kicking herself for forgetting.) gave him a small smile. "Hey, Sai. I'm here to teach your group."

The blinking increased and now Naruto and Sakura wore identical looks of incredulity. Sasuke looked as uncaring as ever, but he snorted drolly. "So Pervert the Pirate abandoned us already."

Yamato stared for a moment, but his mind quickly supplied that no one but Kakashi could possibly be called Pervert the Pirate. It was rather fitting actually. "You mean he didn't tell you I was coming?"

He got four blank looks.

_Dammit, sempai._ "Kakashi-sensei has obligations that frequently require his attention, so he'll have to miss the program sometimes. I'm just his substitute on those days." He shifted his gaze to Sasuke. "He didn't abandon you."

Sasuke shrugged and muttered something that sounded like, "Who gives a shit anyway?" and Sakura put her algebra away with a sigh. Looks like she'd have to wait until she got home to do her homework today.

With another hearty smile, Yamato came happily over to the table as Sai took his seat next to Naruto. "Now then, my name's Yamato Anbu, and I teach English. Here you should call me Yamato-sensei. Kakashi-sensei told me a little bit about you guys, but let me make sure I remember this correctly." He pointed at each in turn. "Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, right?"

Sakura nodded a bit, when Naruto immediately cut in, waving his arms, "Hey, hey, Yamato-sensei, you forgot Sai!"

Yamato chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, I know Sai already. I have him for class."

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. "Really? I thought you taught seniors and stuff."

"I teach mostly juniors and seniors, but I have one class of freshman this year."

Naruto sat back in his chair. "Oh." There was a pause before he went on, "So are we just gonna sit around and talk about nothing like usual?"

Sasuke muttered again, "This is such a fucking waste of time," and Sakura sighed once more, wearily sinking down in her seat. Maybe she could sort of zone out and achieve one of those 'asleep with your eyes open' states. That would be nice.

"No, today there's a particular activity planned. I mean, it is still mostly talking, but not about nothing, as you put it. We'll be talking about one thing specifically."

Naruto immediately perked up. "Really? What are we talking about?"

_**Dattebayo!**_

"That's stupid. Why the hell do we have to sit here and talk about our best friend, like we're in kindergarten?"

Asuma sighed. He had known, out of the three, that Ino would be the one to give him a hard time on this.

"Now now, love, just because you don't have any friends--"

"Shut up, Shika. Just eat your fucking chips."

"They're not my chips, they're Chouji's chips. And he's sharing them with me because he's my _best_ _friend_. Though you never were very good at sharing--"

"I hope you choke on one of those."

Chouji quietly munched away on his snack.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"This is the stupidest thing we've had to do yet."

Gai pointedly ignored Neji and continued to focus his gaze on the brunette girl in front of him. The one who was squirming uncomfortably in her seat.

"I, um..." Tenten shifted her weight once again. "I guess... my best friend's Megan Harper. Yeah..."

"**And tell us a bit about Miss Harper. How do you two know each other?"** Gai boomed, making her wince.

"Um, well she's a junior here. She's on the basketball team with me..." Tenten trailed off and shrugged. It was rather obvious to anyone listening that, while Megan might be the closest thing she had to a best friend, they still weren't really that close. Gaara figured she was probably as close to this Megan as he was to, say, Chouji or Kiba.

Gai nodded his head, refusing to let his disappointment show on his face. **"Very well. Thank you, Tenten." **

Tenten nodded warily.

"**Lee, why don't you grace us with information about your best friend?" **

Lee was acting rather subdued, especially for him. He actually fidgeted much the same way Tenten had, not making eye contact, cheeks flushing red just a little. "I have many acquaintances whose company I can say I avidly enjoy. However, I... do not really have any friends."

The silence that followed the statement was rather heavy. Gai very carefully kept his happy face on, sadly already having expected the answer. Tenten became very interested in the writing scratched into the science room tables, Neji, surprisingly enough, didn't grace them with one of his usual, biting comments, and Gaara just _stared_. His face was its usual mix of blank and angry, but inside he was absolutely shocked. Why wouldn't Lee have any friends? He was weird and occasionally his enthusiasm could be a little annoying, yes, but he was a really nice guy. A much better person than Gaara was, and yet Gaara had a few friends, one that he was _close_ with. How did he have them when Lee had no one?

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Um, a-ano... my best friend... would be Sakura Haruno." Hinata pressed her fingers together nervously. Why was she nervous? God, she hated how she could never just calm down, always afraid whatever she said sounded completely stupid.

Kurenai smiled encouragingly at the girl. "Okay, good. Tell us a little bit about Sakura."

She nodded, twiddling her thumbs around each other in circling motions. "W-well, she's a freshman like us. She has pink hair, but it really is natural. She-she's very smart, in advanced classes, always gets s-straight A's..." She looked to the teacher, wondering what exactly she was supposed to say.

"How did you two meet?"

"We... we actually met back in first grade. I think... yeah, we became friends sometime around fifth, when she got into a fight with the group of girls she was friends with before. We've been friends ever since."

Kiba narrowed his eyes a bit, slowly processing what the girl had said. "So basically, Sakura's friends ditched her and you were her backup plan."

"Kiba," Kurenai growled, furious, but Hinata smiled.

"N-no, it's okay. That's pretty much right, but that was a long time ago. I'm very quiet, so n-none of the other girls really talked to me. I was actually very happy when she approached me. And we're still friends now because we like each other. Not because we don't have other options."

Kiba frowned a bit, but Hinata knew that was just because Sakura wasn't his favorite person because of how she treated a certain loud blond. It was the one thing she and her best friend disagreed upon. To Sakura, Naruto was an annoyance. To Hinata... She blushed a little just thinking about it.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"My best friend's Hinata Hyuuga. She's a freshman like us, blue/black hair, pale eyes. Really unique, they're kind of off-whiteish, but they have almost a lavender tint to them... It mostly depends on how the light hits them..."

All four males in the room watched as a dreamy look came over the pinkette's face. Well, that was a bit odd. Yamato cleared his throat softly, and Sakura snapped back to attention, cheeks flushing a little.

"Yeah, anyway, she's really sweet. She's seriously the nicest person I've ever met; I don't think I've ever heard her say a mean thing about anyone, even when they deserve it. She's always quick to forgive and forget." She looked at Yamato. "Anything else?"

Yamato scratched his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No, that's all. Thank you for sharing so cooperatively, Sakura."

Sakura nodded and sunk back in her seat. That hadn't been so bad. Then again... it was always easy to talk about Hinata.

"Okay." Yamato looked to the sullen boy on Sakura's left. "Sasuke, your turn."

Sasuke frowned a bit more, shifting his weight. "I don't want to talk about this."

Wonderful. "Now, Sasuke, I'm sure--"

"I said I don't want to talk about it. It's retarded." Black eyes turned hard as diamonds, fixing with the teacher's soft brown ones. "And the rules say I don't have to talk about anything I don't want to."

Well, he was right. Before Yamato could agree, though, Naruto cut in with a loud, "Don't mind him, sensei, he's just upset 'cuz he doesn't have any friends!"

Oh, this didn't bode well.

"I have friends, dobe."

"Oh yeah, who?"

There was a pause. "I don't need to tell you."

Naruto chuckled delightedly. "See! See! I told you, dattebayo!"

Yamato blinked. What the hell did 'dattebayo' mean?

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun has lots of friends," Sakura cut in, though her voice didn't hold as much bite as it usually did. Of course, her face still had an obvious blush on it too. "He's the most popular kid in our grade and one of the most popular in the whole school."

Sasuke glared her way. "I don't need you to stand up for me."

Naruto laughed once more. "_That's_ why 'Sasuke-kun' doesn't have any friends. He's a prick, even when someone's being nice to him!"

"Naruto..." Yamato warned, but the blond was not to be stopped.

"He doesn't have any friends because he thinks everyone's so far beneath him, he's too good for the rest of the world. And guess what." He leaned in closer to the scowling Uchiha, eyes sparkling in mirth. "You can be the most 'popular' person on the planet, it doesn't change the fact that if you went around the school and asked everyone here what they thought of you, almost _no one_ would like you. And those that do only like you for your looks, prettyboy."

A crushing silence followed the last of the blond's words. Sakura didn't attempt to defend Sasuke as she usually did, though whether this was because she'd just been told off for doing so or because she agreed with Naruto, no one knew. Sasuke seemed to be in a state of shock and was having some serious trouble gathering his thoughts. No one had ever said something quite like that to him. Yamato didn't know whether or not to punish Naruto for what he had just done. The kids were supposed to talk openly and freely with each other so long as they weren't being malicious or overly insulting... Did Naruto's speech fall under that category?

After another moment that felt like an eternity, Sasuke came out with, "Hn. Who cares? I don't _need_ friends." But even he couldn't deny that his voice shook just a little.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Shikamaru and Chouji had identified each other as their best friend, briefly pointing out what they liked best about the other in the most annoying way they could think of (flirty voices, batting eyelashes, and instigating far more physical contact than two teenage boys generally shared), leaving only Ino to really talk about hers. Something she wasn't too keen on doing.

_Shit, what should I do? I don't _have _a best friend! But I can't tell them that. And I can't say I don't want to talk about it, that's the same as telling them. So I should just make something up. Yeah, that's what I'll do. They'll never know._

She smirked to herself, tossing a blond ponytail over her shoulder. "My best friend's Brian Schaeffer."

Chouji made an odd noise into his chips and Shika raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh? The flavor of the week, is it?"

Ino glared. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

Asuma ignored the typical exchange and focused his gaze on the quietest of his group. "Chouji, you all right?"

Chouji fiddled with the end of his shirt, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "I _hate_ Brian Schaeffer."

Ino was instantly on the defensive. "Yeah, well he probably hates you too."

The large boy's eyes were unusually serious for him and almost... defeated? "I know he does."

Ino's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. That wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting.

Clearing his throat, Asuma decided to let that issue be for now. "Okay, Ino. Tell us a little about your friend."

"Yes, Ino, do tell."

Ino contemplated killing Shikamaru. "Y'know, it's really not that weird to be best friends with your boyfriend."

"Of course not." Shika yawned and then grinned at the fuming girl. "So really, tell us something about him. How about his favorite... well, anything. Sexual position doesn't count, of course. You don't need to be friends with him to know that."

Asuma cringed just as Ino shrieked, "Just what the fuck are you implying?"

Shika grinned deviously. "Now now--"

"Don't 'now now' me, asshole! Did you just call me a slut?"

"Of course not. Whatever would give you that idea? I mean, c'mon, it's not like you _act_ like it _every single day_ or anything like that."

"Okay, that's enough," Asuma said firmly, giving Shika a scathing look. "Remember the rule about being respectful?"

The ponytailed brunette muttered a, "Sorry, sensei," looking properly ashamed of himself. Though it seemed he was more sorry for upsetting Asuma than he was for what he'd said to Ino.

Asuma sighed and looked back at Ino, feeling a headache coming on. "Go ahead, sweetie."

Ino cleared her throat in an annoying, haughty kind of way. "My best friend is Brian Schaeffer, my boyfriend. He's a senior, has brown hair and brown eyes. He's the starting... well, I don't actually know what position he plays since I don't like football, but he's definitely a starter." She paused for just a moment. What else could she say about him? She didn't know anything else about him. _Calm down, Ino, you don't _need_ to know anything else. Just work the girlfriend angle._ "I really enjoy spending time with him, even if we're just hanging out and watching TV. He's a lot of fun... And I _haven't_ slept with him." She glared at both boys, daring them to contradict. Chouji was still staring at his lap, snack forgotten, and Shika was still wearing the same shit-eating grin.

Asuma smiled. "Thank you, Ino. Any questions, boys?"

"Yeah, I got one," Shika said immediately, leaning forward in mock anticipation. "How long until you dump him?"

Asuma really wanted to strangle the boy. "Shikamaru--!"

"No no, sensei, it's all right," Ino cut in, holding up a well-manicured hand. "I have gone through a lot of boyfriends lately, it's a fair question." She rested her chin on her entwined fingers, smiling sweetly Shikamaru's way. "But this one's different. I really like him, and I have a feeling he's going to be around a long time." And he was, if for no other reason than to prove Shikamaru wrong... Well, really there wasn't any other reason. Brian was a complete and total moron, not to mention a jerk, no matter how good-looking. She had been planning on dumping him that weekend. But... well, plans change.

Eyebrows raised. "Really?"

"Mmhmm."

"Ah." Shika leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "So you'll be finding out his favorite sexual position soon then."

Asuma knew he was going to need some damn Tylenol when this was all over.

Ino frowned at the lazy boy, though for once there wasn't a hint of anything fake in the expression. "Why are you so convinced I'm a whore?" And she really did want to know.

Shika sighed heavily, sitting forward and giving her a bored yet serious look. "I don't think you're a whore, Ino. That sexual position thing really was just a joke to piss you off. I think you're a flirt, but that's all." His eyes narrowed just a bit. "However, I think the only reason a senior guy dates a freshman girl, no matter how gorgeous and popular, is because they're after one thing. Actually, I think the only reason Brian Schaeffer dates _anyone_ is because he's only after one thing. And I know you're smart enough to figure out what that one thing is, no matter how dumb you insist on acting in front of everyone else."

There was an awkward silence after that, and Ino really didn't know what to say. Asuma decided to forgo scolding Shika, at least for now. He was actually hoping what the boy had said would get through to the blond, if only a little.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"**All right, Gaara-kun, it is your turn! Please grace us with a tale of your best friend!" **

Gaara's eye twitched, though that was due to Gai's volume and overdone enthusiasm, not the request itself. "...Sure. My best friend's Naruto Uzumaki. He's a freshman here, and he lives with his guardian Iruka. He's always friendly... _really_ friendly to almost everyone, unless they're being a dick. He's loud and likes being the center of attention. And if he could, he would probably marry and have kids with his instant ramen." Teal eyes stared.

Gai blinked. **"Well, thank you, Gaara-kun."** His joy picked up as what had just happened fully registered in his mind. The angriest and possibly most antisocial of the group had just given him the first good contribution of the day. He might as well keep it going for a bit. **"Would you mind sharing ****how you and Naruto-kun met?**"

Another eye-twitch, more staring. "...Okay. I had just moved here in middle school when I saw this annoying, loud kid wearing orange at the park. I decided I didn't like him so we fought. Then afterwards, he said he wanted to be my friend." He scowled at the four looks of incredulity he was getting. "I told you he was friendly." Besides, that was the short version of events. The conversation that had followed the fight (which he had lost for the first time ever) had been quite a bit more in depth than that. But the end result was the same.

"Is this before or after you fought with Lee?" Neji asked in droll amusement.

Gaara glared his way, not appreciating his stupid smirk. "After. Naruto was the last person I've fought."

"How sweet."

Gaara stiffened, expression turning downright menacing. "I could always make an exception for you, Hyuuga."

"**That was wonderful, Gaara-kun!"** Gai jumped in, stopping the impending confrontation in its tracks. **"Thank you so very much for sharing your youthful tale with us today! Your gesture of trust and friendship with us is most appreciated by all!"**

Gaara almost rolled his eyes. Crazy fucking gym teacher.

"**Neji-kun! Why don't you grace us with your own youthful tale?" **

Pale eyes that had been fixed on the little redhead, swerved to look at the older man. A scoff followed. "This is ridiculous. I'm not going to waste my time on any of this nonsense."

Gai didn't bother to say anymore to him, knowing the boy wouldn't be swayed. Gaara smirked at Neji now, Lee actually looked as though he wanted to do the same, and Tenten carefully looked away. They all knew the truth behind the Hyuuga's superior act. He didn't want to talk about this because, like Lee, he didn't have any friends to talk about.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Okay, Kiba, your turn."

Kiba shot the Spanish teacher a wolfish grin. "Sure! Only..." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't really have a _best_ friend. I got a lotta friends," he added quickly. "It's just, I don't have that one I'm really close with." He bit his lip wishing he was smarter and therefore better at explaining things.

"That's okay, Kiba," Kurenai instantly assured, giving the boy a warm smile. "That's actually not that uncommon. Why don't you just think of the person your closest with and tell us about them?"

Kiba scratched his cheek, laughing a little. "Well, if you put it that way, it would be my sister." He laughed again, louder this time. "Pretty lame, though, sayin' my sister's my best friend, so I probably shouldn't tell people that." Whether it was 'lame' or not, he obviously had no problem saying it, full of self-confidence and uncaring of what others thought. It was a trait both of the other kids in his group greatly envied.

Kurenai chuckled with him a bit. "That's fine, Kiba, tell us a little about your sister."

"Okay. Her name's Hana, she's twenty-two, and she's in school to be a vet, but she already knows, like everything she needs to, seriously. She works at my family's shelter thing as an 'assistant'" --he actually did the finger motions-- "to my uncle. She's got brown hair and brown eyes like me, and people say she looks a lot like me, only, y'know, more girly and stuff." He shrugged. "I know a lot about her, so we could be here all day if I kept going."

Kurenai was pleased with his willing participation. Considering she knew he didn't want to be there, he'd been quite well behaved every day so far. "Pretty big age gap between you two, huh?"

"Yeah, that's probably why we get along so well. Ma says when kids are as far apart as we are, the older one tends to take on an almost parental role towards the little one, and they don't fight very much." He smiled deviously. "Unless I'm being a real pain, at least. Then she never hesitates to kick my ass."

Kurenai nodded. That was true of most siblings. "Is it just the two of you? No other brothers and sisters?"

The response was immediate. The smile slipped away, the playful eyes dulled, everything about the boy's usual boisterous demeanor turned downtrodden and withdrawn. "I don't wanna talk about that," he muttered, pulling his hood up over his head.

Kurenai deeply regretted ever asking that question. She had never expected that kind of reaction.

Hinata, being the wonderful person that she was, attempted to gently steer the topic of conversation back onto more neutral ground. "I ag-g-gree with your mother, Kiba-kun. M-my little sister is five years younger than me, and I feel our relationship is almost more like parent and child than two sisters."

Kiba perked up a little. "Oh yeah?"

Hinata nodded emphatically, glad to have been able to keep Kiba away from the brooding place he'd been headed. Thank goodness he had a short attention span.

"Shino, how about you?" Kurenai said, shooting the Hyuuga girl a quick grateful look. "Who's your best friend?"

There was the pause they had all become accustomed to before Shino spoke. Like he was taking a moment to make sure his thoughts were completely gathered. "I don't have a best friend. I don't like a lot of the kids that go here. I suppose I'm closest with a few cousins near my age." There was the smallest shifting of his layered shoulders that Kurenai had come to learn was a shrug.

The teacher bit her bottom lip, unsure of whether or not to push the boy a little. She decided it probably wouldn't be very beneficial. "Okay. Thank you, Shino."

The hooded head inclined in the slightest of nods.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Naruto, tell us about your best friend," Yamato said with a chuckle, trying to ignore the tension still thick in the air.

Blue eyes focused on him, and the hyper blond went from being cheerful in an almost scary way to just being naturally happy again. "No problem, sensei! My best friend's Gaara Sabaku. Freshman, red hair, greenish eyes, scary expression. Short, wears all black, eyeliner. Average student, vegetarian."

"He's a vegetarian?" Sakura asked, agape.

"Yep, no meat for him! Anyway, I've been friends with him for about a year and a half now, after he moved here with his brother and sister. We do everything together, and I call him my Tanuki-chan because his eyeliner makes him look like a raccoon!"

Sakura snorted just a little. "A feral raccoon."

Naruto just nodded his agreement. "Yeah, he looks mean, but he's not really that bad. Y'just gotta get past the gruff exterior."

Sakura made a small noise of assent, seeing as how she admittedly didn't know the redhead very well. Sasuke stayed deathly quiet, even for him, through all of this. His face had a normal scowl, but he seemed overly eager to just get out of there.

Yamato's brown eyes strayed to the even paler raven who was drawing while listening. "How about you, Sai? Who's your best friend?"

The scratching of pencil against paper stopped and obsidian eyes glanced up from the sketch pad blankly. "I don't see the point."

Yamato sighed, rubbing the back of his neck to relieve the stress that had built up over the day. He was surprised no one had outwardly complained before this. "I know this all seems pointless to you right now, and I'm sure you'd rather be at home but--"

"No," the boy cut in evenly. "I meant I don't see the point in having friends."

The silence that followed could only be described as the deformed lovechild of shocked and awkward. Not really at the words themselves, seeing as how Sasuke had said basically the same thing, but more at the way they were said. When Sasuke'd said it, he sounded like a petulant child. When Sai said it... well, hearing words like that come from a young teenager's mouth with such complete seriousness... it was surprisingly disturbing. More so than any of them would have imagined.

Yamato recovered first, coughing lightly into his hand. "Well, Sai, there are a lot of reasons to have friends."

Sai shrugged, fake smile in place. "There are reasons, but none of them are important. Such emotional ties can only break or hinder in the end. You shouldn't let such feelings weaken you."

None of them knew why exactly, but for some reason, Sai seemed very much like something straight from a horror movie right then. Like one of those creepy six year olds who looks at you with a straight face and tells you you're going to die. Sakura actually felt a shiver run down her spine, and Naruto leaned away from the smiling artist. "Dude... you need some serious therapy. Are you sure you're human?"

Sakura swallowed hard. "You're not gonna like... bring a gun to school or something, are you?"

Sai gave them both one slow blink. "Why are you reacting like this to me when Emo-duck said the same thing?"

Sasuke, who looked more freaked out than both Naruto and Sakura put together, literally jerked in his seat. He licked his suddenly dry lips, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room, trying desperately to get his uncaring mask back in place.

He... he didn't sound like Sai. No, he was nothing like the pale freak. He just... he just didn't need other people... That was all.

Slender hands clenched into fists. He suddenly didn't feel so well.

* * *

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox

Thank you for reviewing!


	6. Open Your Eyes

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

3karen3 asked an excellent question that I will clarify, along with one or two other things. First of all, the story is currently at the beginning of November calender-wise. Itachi is 21, Temari is 20, and Kankurou is 17 and a senior still in school. And as mentioned already, Hana is 22 and Hanabi is 9. All of our main characters are freshman (14 before their birthday/15 after) with the exception of Neji, Tenten, and Lee who are sophomores (15 before their birthday/16 after). If any other important characters come up with ages not mentioned, I'll be sure to put a note.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Open Your Eyes**

"Sasuke-kun!"

The girl's shrill cry literally made his toes curl. The Uchiha pouted. Dammit, he was _not_ in the mood to deal with her today, not after the two hours of hell he'd just had. All he wanted to do was go home. "_What_, Sakura?"

He heard her jog down the empty hall, hurrying to catch up to him until she appeared by his side. "Sasuke-kun, don't worry about what Naruto said. Or Sai. There are _lots_ of people that like you."

He felt a fearsome amount of rage bubbling up in his gut. "I don't care about what the dobe said." _It didn't hurt at all_.

"Oh, good. Because really, I'm sure he's just jealous of how popular you are."

Naruto? Jealous of him? _"You can be the most 'popular' person on the planet, it doesn't change the fact that if you went around the school and asked everyone here what they thought of you, almost _no one_ would like you." _Did she really believe that? Wasn't she supposed to be smart? Because whenever she was around him, she might as well have just been another brainless fangirl. "You're so annoying."

Green eyes widened and she nearly tripped over her own feet. "W-what?"

"You heard me. You're annoying." He shot his patented Uchiha glare her way, forcing her to take a step back. "You don't know anything about Naruto, you don't know anything about me. You just run your mouth, Sasuke-kun this and Sasuke-kun that, and I'm sick of it."

She took a deep breath, bottom lip trembling a bit. "Well, I just--"

"Don't you know when to quit? I don't want to hear your voice anymore. You're. Annoying."

He was expecting her to burst into tears, but to his surprise, she didn't, no matter how much she looked like she wanted to. She did utter a soft, "Sorry," before turning on her heel and absolutely dashing away. He snorted disdainfully in her wake.

"That's_ why 'Sasuke-kun' doesn't have any friends. He's a prick, even when someone's being nice to him!"_

He shoved the blond's voice forcefully from his mind. He'd only told her the truth, she was annoying. Very much so. He didn't feel bad, even if she had been trying to cheer him up. She'd done it in an annoying way. She was just another fangirl, and she got exactly what she deserved.

Sakura rushed away from the dark-haired jerk and out of the school building, quickly pushing past the usual group of boys waiting for their rides. Like every other day, Naruto called out his usual, "Bye, Sakura-chaaan!" Unlike every day, Sakura paused and tilted her head just enough to catch the blond in her peripheral. "Bye, Naruto."

Chouji dropped his bag of chips.

"Ha, y'see!" Naruto said loudly as she continued to walk away again. "I told you she was nice!"

Sakura walked a little faster.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Tenten unlocked the door to her apartment, mail in hand, flipping on the lights to illuminate the dark room. It was quiet, not that she expected anything different; it was always quiet when she got home. No one was ever there to greet her. Maybe she should get a cat. Then again, the poor thing would probably die, just like all the plants, fish, and gerbils she'd ever had.

With a sigh, she tossed her backpack onto the couch, wearily wandering towards the phone. The answering machine was clear, no messages. That was good, if anyone wanted to get ahold of her, they just called her cell. The only time they left messages was when they were attempting to reach her mother. Always a nuisance.

Stripping down as she went, undoing the twin buns from her hair, she climbed into the shower, trying to remember if she'd brought home that English assignment. A shrug. Oh well, it wasn't like she was worried if she didn't, sports were much more her thing. She was only in regular classes, maintained only average grades, and had enough common sense that she didn't have to work _too_ hard for them. Turning in an assignment a day or two late was nothing new for her, she'd only get a few points deducted. Not turning it in at all was what really hurt. Then you ended up with a zero. And she was never making that mistake again.

Climbing out, drying off, and throwing on a t-shirt and shorts, she padded back to the kitchen, stomach growling. Tenten couldn't cook to save her life, so she had a much more practical approach to dinner. Leftover Chinese.

She heated up some sweet and sour pork with rice, grabbed a bottle of water (most mass-produced drinks had too much sugar or carbs for her liking), whisked the plate from the microwave, and plopped herself down on the couch in front of the TV. She hit the power button, punched in the appropriate channel, and sure enough, CSI was just starting. One of her guilty pleasures.

Ten o'clock that night brought about a fifteen year old girl, curled up on the couch, discarded empty plate left lying on the coffee table, TV still running softly in the background. Blearily, she reached up behind her, grabbed a fistful of blanket, and pulled it down to wrap around her like a cocoon. Within minutes she was asleep, having completed her evening like every other before it.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kiba all but growled at the figure in front of him, holding his dinner high above their head, a taunting smirk firmly on rose-colored lips. How the hell was his sister still taller than him anyway? She wasn't some sort of freak giant. When was he going to fucking grow?

"Dammit, Hana, give it back!"

The container of Easy Mac inched higher, brown eyes taunting. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

His hands balled into fists, muscles straining. "Dammit, Hana, don't be such a bitch!"

He felt a hand whack him across the back of the head and blinked in surprise at his mother who had appeared out of nowhere. How did she always do that?

"Hana, give it back to your brother."

With a heavy sigh, the plastic cup was dropped into Kiba's waiting hands, complete with a pink tongue pointed his way.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "And you're an adult? Wanna try acting more your age?"

Hana pinched his cheek in a way she knew he hated. "Trust me, sweetie, you'll soon find being an adult and acting your age is highly overrated." She completed these words of wisdom with an annoying hair ruffle before sauntering out of the room.

Kiba, used to such things happening on a daily basis, turned to pour some water into his dinner and stick it in the microwave. That wasn't going to be enough of course (he was a growing boy, after all), so he'd probably end up eating three or four of them. That should be sufficient... maybe.

Yanking it out when the beep prompted, he stirred in the packaged cheese flavoring, ignoring the few noodles that spilled over the edge, seeing as how they were immediately lapped up by Akamaru. There was never any need to clean up food when you had dogs.

"Kiba." His mother's voice drifted over from the kitchen table (which was never used for actual eating) where she was bent over a bunch of papers, most likely bills. Her brow was creased, but he figured that probably had to do with all the crap in front of her.

"Yeah?"

Tsume paused where her pen was poised over a paper, carefully thinking her words out before she spoke. "You were invited for Thanksgiving."

Kiba didn't even notice when the plastic cup slipped from his grip. "What?"

"Thanksgiving. You were invited."

Kiba swallowed hard, noting that his mouth had gone oddly dry. "You're sure?"

"Yes. I made sure he was specific. You're invited for dinner that day."

The boy leaned heavily against the counter behind him, listening distantly to Akamaru eating his dinner on the floor. He had been invited for a holiday? "Did he say why?"

"No. You can call and ask if you want to."

Kiba gripped messy brown locks tightly in both fists. This was beyond unexpected and he really didn't know how to take it. Dimly he noted that his mother had yet to actually look up at him, meaning she didn't know just how to take it either. Shit, this was... "Did he invite Hana?"

Tsume's jaw tightened a fraction. "No. Just you."

Well, at least that made his decision easy. "Then you can tell him to go to hell."

His mother's brown eyes, nearly identical to his own, locked gazes with him, wolfish smile in place. "Good boy."

_**Dattebayo!**_

"I'll show that lazy know-it-all. Thinks he knows fucking everything. I'll prove that bastard wrong." Ino grumbled to herself as she punched angrily through the contacts on her cell, finally landing on the desired name. Hitting the send button, she leaned lazily against the pink pillows of her bed, examining her nails with a frown. She'd have to get them redone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Brian, it's me."

There was a muffled noise on the other side of the line, like he was shifting his phone around. "Oh hey, baby, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow after school? I was thinking you could maybe come pick me up from tutoring and we could, y'know, hang out?" She would have completed this offer with puppy-dog eyes and pouting lips had she been speaking with the boy face to face. Shika was right about one thing, she was a pretty big flirt. And she was good at it.

"Yeah, no problem. What time?"

Ino frowned as she pondered that. She didn't want Brian to see the other kids who stayed, lest his peabrain actually manage to put together that it couldn't possibly be a tutoring group with well-known brains like Neji and Sasuke and Sakura there. So she'd just have to wait around a little longer. If the usual pick-up time was four-thirty... "Four forty-five."

"All right, babe, see you then."

She slid the phone shut, laughing softly to herself. _Take that, Shikamaru. We'll see how long this relationship lasts._ She wouldn't be dumping Brian anytime soon. And it's not like Brian would dump her. No one had ever dumped her.

"Ino, dinner!"

"Coming, Dad!"

Less than a minute later found the blond girl at the table, her equally blond father sitting across from her, pleasant smile in place. Dinner (spaghetti and meatballs with green beans and garlic bread) sat steaming in front of them, just waiting to be devoured. Ino felt her neglected stomach rumble. Her father was an excellent cook.

"So, how was school?"

She shrugged indifferently, taking a small bite of pasta. "Not bad."

"Mmhmm... And the after school program?"

At this, the girl huffed out an irritated sigh, blue eyes rolling. "Daddy, do I _really_ need to stay? It's so stupid. And Shikamaru's driving me crazy!"

"Yes, he's always been good at that, hasn't he?" Inoichi mused with a small chuckle.

Ino wasn't impressed.

"Sweetie, you have to stay. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to change my mind."

The girl sighed again, much more resigned this time, and slowly chewed a single bean. Stupid therapy program thing, stupid Shikamaru, stupid--

Her father's cell phone went off, and she listened listlessly as he talked to whoever was on the other end about work. Inoichi was a neurosurgeon, and as such, was _very_ busy. It wasn't too often that he and Ino actually got the chance to sit down at the table like this.

Ino swallowed a quarter of a meatball as he hung up, turning back to his own food. "Oh, you don't have to come pick me up tomorrow. My friend's coming to get me."

"Which friend?"

The question had been expected, which was why Ino already had a lie prepared. "Mallory Jacobs. You remember her, right?" Mallory Jacobs was always Ino's excuse when she was out with whoever she was dating at the time. She was the only one of Ino's older friends her father had ever met, Inoichi had liked the girl a lot, and she was old enough to drive. What her father didn't need to ever know was that Mallory had moved to Florida three months ago.

"Ah, yes, of course... Ino?"

The girl looked up immediately, recognizing her father's serious tone. "Yeah?"

"I know you're very popular at school and everything, but..." There was a long pause. "Just make sure you're careful, hanging out with all these older kids. You're only fourteen you know."

Her had tightened around her fork, but she forced a cheery smile onto her face. "I know that, Daddy." Standing to take her plate to the sink she said happily, "I'm done. It was delicious."

Her father frowned, eyes concerned. "Already? You barely ate anything."

"You always give me too much!" she scolded playfully. "I'm just a little girl." Her smile began to falter when she saw he wasn't playing along.

"Just a few more bites." His blue eyes looked so sad. "Please?"

She swallowed, her throat suddenly bone-dry. Was he onto her? "Sure." She forced herself to finish the rest of the plate. No matter how sick it made her feel afterwards.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sakura slammed her books down onto her bed, feeling the tears still stinging the back of her eyes. It took her nearly an hour and a half to walk home, and the whole time she had been relentlessly plagued by the angry boy's words. It was like he had taken up permanent residence in her head and refused to shut the hell up.

Annoying. She snorted. Of course she was annoying around him, or at least she found it annoying. Turning into a blithering, squealing mess. She hated it; but she thought that's what guys liked. Ino-pig acted like that, and she was the most popular girl in the fucking school, was dating a new, older guy every week it seemed. Why did it work for her and not Sakura? Stupid bitch wasn't _that_ good-looking!

With a despairing groan, Sakura buried her face in her hands. Why was she putting herself through this? What the hell was so damn special about Sasuke Uchiha?

She froze as the words ran through her mind. What _was_ so special about him? He was good-looking and popular. When she was younger, Sakura had felt drawn to him, more than almost anybody else. She had then interpreted that feeling as 'having a crush' on him. Then Ino-pig had said she also had a crush on him... and their friendship had crumbled from there. It had quickly become a competition to find out who could nab him first. A competition that had never died down even to this day.

She frowned so hard it hurt her face. Was that the only reason she liked Sasuke? Because she was obsessed with beating Ino?

No, she really had been drawn to him when she was little, she remembered it clearly. But then again... she had been drawn to someone else too, before that had become 'unacceptable'. And the way she felt for Sasuke now... she still felt drawn to him in a way. But she wasn't so sure anymore that her feelings towards him were romantic. A hot blush spread across her face. Especially when you compared them to how she felt for someone else.

But then, that was a whole nother story.

With another despairing groan/growl thing, she shoved her pink locks irritably away from her face, wishing for the millionth time that she could just cut her damn hair and be done with it. She hated it long, it was such a fucking pain, but she couldn't have it short because Sasuke liked girls... with... long... hair...

Jade eyes blinked as what she had just thought truly penetrated her brain. She was honestly keeping her hair long for someone who had royally insulted her less than two hours ago, based on a rumor that he liked girls like that better?

Sakura wasn't going to pretend she had a lot of pride in herself, because she didn't. But even she wasn't that fucking pathetic.

_**Dattebayo!**_

A frog shaped alarm clock blared to life at six in the morning, prompting a tanned hand to reach blindly around the nightstand until it found the correct button, turning the alarm off. A messy blond head rose slowly from the bed, blue eyes half open and weary. Naruto blinked once, rolled over... and went back to sleep.

Ten minutes later, "Naruto Uzumaki, you get out of bed this instant! Don't make me come up there!"

So, fearing the wrath of Iruka, the boy dragged himself from his nice, warm bed, groggily making his way to the bathroom, stripping as he went. There he turned the shower on nice and hot, climbed in, sat down in the corner beneath the spray... and went back to sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, "Naruto Uzumaki, get out of that shower now! You're going to be late!"

Five more minutes to dress, yank a comb through unruly hair, and brush his teeth, and Naruto was in the kitchen by six-thirty, sitting down at the table, smiling sleepily at his guardian. "Morning, Ruka."

"Good morning, Naruto. Did you finish all your homework?"

"Yes."

"Study for your history test?"

"Yes."

"Get your gym clothes from the laundry room?"

"Yes." A plate with bacon, eggs sunny-side up, and an English muffin was set in front of him. He promptly began to fashion it all into a sandwich. "Hey, Iruka? Can I... skip the after school program today?"

"Why?" Iruka frowned, turning from the stove with a disapproving look. "What did you do, Naruto?"

The boy fiddled absently with a piece of bacon. "Well, nothing. I mean, I really didn't do anything wrong. I just... I think I might have hurt teme's feelings."

Iruka blinked. "Sasuke? I thought you always hurt each other's feelings. Since when did you care?"

Naruto waved his hand, brow furrowed. "No, we always fight, but we're never, like, serious. I mean I think I _really_ hurt his feelings. I said something that maybe I shouldn't have... but he really deserved it!"

Iruka stared for a moment before moving to the fridge. "Do you regret whatever you said?"

Immediately the blond head shook, eyes narrowed. "No, he was being a bastard like usual. And I only told him the truth anyway."

Iruka hummed an acknowledgement, spreading peanut butter over the slice of bread in his hand. "Then...?"

"I dunno, I just feel bad, okay! So I just don't wanna see him today, dattebayo!"

"Naruto, just because you said something not particularly nice to someone doesn't mean you can avoid them afterwards." He finished the one sandwich, putting it into a ziplock bag, and reached for two more slices of bread to start the second. "I understand your reasoning, but no, you can't skip the after school program. In fact, this is a good lesson for later on in life. This kind of thing will happen all the time when you get out into the working world."

Naruto pouted like a small child before an evil little smirk took its place. "Oh yeah, right. Like you and Kakashi-sensei."

A slice of American cheese hit the floor as brown eyes narrowed to slits. "That incident was nothing like this."

"But--"

"I do not want to talk about Kakashi Hatake!"

Chuckling, Naruto turned back to his breakfast in a considerably better mood while Iruka grumbled to himself about lazy, one-eyed bastards and haphazardly threw a ham and cheese sandwich together in record time. He still didn't want to have to see Sasuke later that day, but he knew Iruka was right. He couldn't avoid the prick, and he still stood strongly by what he had said anyway. Sasuke had deserved every single word that had left his mouth... That just didn't stop him from feeling kind of bad about it.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Gaara had long ago come to realize his brother was an anomaly. As he walked through the school's main doors with him, having been given a ride by one of Kankurou's friends, he realized once more just how true this was. By all accounts, Kankurou should be labeled a 'loser' by his fellow peers, a 'weirdo', an 'outcast'.

I mean, come on, the boy was far more eccentric than Gaara was. Like his little brother, he wore almost nothing but black. He wore a hoodie a good ninety percent of the time, hood up, and he had systematically gone through every single one he owned and sewn cat ears onto the top of them. Then, just to concrete his weirdness, he wore makeup. Not some simple eyeliner like Gaara did, oh no, the freak wore full out purple face paint, every day, in a specific pattern of lines he carefully painted in front of the bathroom mirror each morning, and when asked about it, he would giggle like a little girl and say it was his war paint. He was the kind of person old ladies stopped and stared at in the mall. And yet the moment they walked through those doors, it was like a sea of people descended upon them, all clamoring to talk to his ridiculously popular big brother. It didn't make any fucking sense.

Like many mornings before it, Gaara was unceremoniously shoved out of the way by one of his brother's fans, just barely managing to keep his balance this time. Bastard... or had that been a girl? Bitch seemed more appropriate were that the case. Regardless, Gaara tried once to gain Kankurou's attention, failed, and decided it really wasn't worth it. The older boy had promised the redhead last night that he would help him this morning with some algebra he couldn't understand but... Well, it was no big deal anyway. Gaara currently had an A in math, so even if he failed the test that day he would still be all right. Besides, Kankurou was too busy flirting to pay any attention to his kid brother.

Not that Gaara had expected anything different... he had just hoped a little.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Okay, today we're going to be working in groups of two. So everyone go ahead and pick a partner while I pass these papers out."

Hinata sighed softly as she watched the bustle of girls changing seats, finding a friend to work with. Child development class. A very popular class amongst the girls of Konoha High, particularly the freshman. One of the two elective courses she had taken that year and probably the only class she didn't have to work her ass off in to get at least a B. Because her father would never accept less than a B, and, quite frankly, even those didn't make him particularly happy.

A packet of articles and worksheets on the different aspects of childbearing was set in front of her, making her frown. This was the one area of the class she was a little worried about. The majority of the time they talked about child rearing and occasionally they'd spend the class period down at the daycare center literally right across the street from the school. Those were her favorite classes, seeing as how she loved working and playing with the kids. And unbeknownst to her, they loved it whenever she came. The workers at the center couldn't even count how many times a child would come in in the morning, asking if 'Miss Hinata' or (the less observant ones) 'the white-eyed girl' would be coming that day.

But now was the only time during the class they wouldn't be talking about taking care of or raising children. No, this part of the course was all about conceiving and giving birth to children. And Hinata feared a big fat F waiting for her during this chapter.

To make things worse, Nicole, the girl she normally worked with as a partner, in this class, was absent that day. Meaning she had no one and would either be alone or whoever else was left would get stuck with her. Pushing her fingers together and finding what little comfort she could from the familiar act, the last thing she expected was to be approached by someone. Particularly when that someone was the only male of the class and a senior.

"Hey... you're Hinata, right? Mind if I be your partner?"

Like a switch had been flipped, all the excess blood rushed straight to the girl's face, lavender eyes doubling in size. Was this real? "I-I-I-- y-y-you-- you want t-t-to work w-w-w-with me?" Ah yes, the infamous nervous stutter. Just another reason why Hinata loved herself so much.

"Yeah, course. If you want to that is."

Well, why the hell wouldn't she want to? She didn't have any reason to reject him, she didn't even know him. Besides, it's not like anyone else wanted to work with her. "I... um... o-okay."

He shot her a million dollar smile, occupying the empty seat next to her, sliding his pencil behind his ear in one cool, fluid motion. "I'm Josh, by the way."

"I, y-yes. I-I know." Of course she knew his name. Who _didn't_ know his name. The question was why did he know hers?

"So... guess we should get started. This packet's a bitch."

With a weak nod, Hinata twined her fingers one last time before reaching for her own worksheets. And as they read through the articles, Hinata blushing quite a bit through certain parts while Josh chuckled softly, and answered the proffered questions, the younger girl felt herself slowly relaxing, tension about the chapter and her partner easing away bit by bit. She couldn't help it really. Josh was just so damn charismatic and friendly. And... well, he had a really nice voice.

* * *

If you don't completely understand Sakura's thought process yet... well, you're not supposed to. So don't worry.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3

Thank you for reviewing!


	7. Too Shy to Scream

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

I would like to thank narutosavior for giving me some sound advice on how I can help improve the story by setting the scene a little better. That's actually one of the things I'm worst at writing, but I did and will try to give at least some kind of description from now on. Otherwise, I'm going to have to ask my lovely readers to use their imagination.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Too Shy to Scream**

Sai's pencil flew across the paper, dark and light lines following in its wake, coal black eyes occasionally glancing up at his current subject. This was what he did every lunch; drew. Sometimes he'd drag some pastels out and add some color to his sketches. But regardless, he was always working on some kind of art.

No, not always. Occasionally he would study if, say, he had a test that afternoon he was unsure about. Occasionally he read if there was a book that had managed to catch his interest. But that was rare. Normally he bought a pre-made wrapped sandwich from the cafeteria along with a carton of iced tea, found a secluded spot on the floor of the hallway outside the busy, bustling room, and drew. Otherwise ... well, he'd get bored. What else was he supposed to do with his time?

Craning his neck, he could see inside the cafeteria doors, could watch all the other students talking and eating together. Out in the hall too, where it was much less crowded and quieter, there were small groups of students socializing. Socializing was something that Sai didn't do so long as it could be avoided. He was bad at it and made people feel uncomfortable, even when he made a conscious effort not to. So it just seemed logical to avoid it.

Biting into a mildly disgusting turkey sandwich, he paused, eyes flashing up to the girl he was drawing once more. She was rather attractive, he supposed, a red-head, nice face, dressed all in black in 'gothic style' clothing. A frown slowly marred his pale lips. He wore all black almost all the time. Why was it he was never considered gothic or emo or something? Just another thing about people that confused him. Not that it bothered him ... Well, nothing really _bothered_ him. That would require genuinely feeling something, and he didn't, not anymore. Not for a very long time.

Finishing his sketch of the girl with a flourish, he eyed it critically for a moment before flipping to a fresh page, obsidian orbs scanning for his next model. Something unique. He preferred unique, it was why he had picked out the girl in the first place, her clothing and makeup had caught his eye. But even she wasn't _that_ unique he wanted something more ...

Eyes widened just a fraction when they landed on the most simple of targets. Why had he never thought of it before? One of the most unique people in the school sat down the hall from him every single day at lunch. The only other person there besides himself who was always completely alone.

Shino would be an interesting subject to draw.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Gaara entered the classroom, the last of his group to arrive, to see Mitarashi-sensei joking heartily with Gai-sensei by the teacher's desk. He frowned as he saw the purple-haired teacher up close for what was probably the first time, though he'd heard more than enough stories about her. What caught his interest the most was the outfit. Were teachers allowed to wear so ... little?

Sitting down at his own table (the four children had come up with some kind of unspoken rule that they would each sit at their own table, regardless of the fact that they sat two), he lazily began to read the graffiti for what had to be at least the fifth or sixth time. At least there was constantly something new. The science room tables for every science classroom in the school were, for a reason he never quite understood, black. Leaving them highly vulnerable to the ever simple pencil.

"**Today will be somewhat of a follow-up to the youthful activity we did yesterday. "**

What met Gai's booming statement were four very unimpressed looks. Even Lee couldn't be enthusiastic if it was a continuation of yesterday.

"Haven't you harassed us enough?" Neji growled angrily, patented Hyuuga glare in full-force. "None of us want to talk about our damn friends."

Tenten muttered a small agreement of her own.

Gai nodded sagely, not put off in the least. **"Ah, but we won't be talking about friends today. Not unless you choose to that is." **

Lee perked up a bit at the news, and Gaara dragged weary teal eyes to look at the gym teacher. His math test had not gone well. "So what do we have to talk about now?"

"**Do not sound so downtrodden, Gaara-kun. The power of youth is strong within you! "**

All four children got a sudden image of Obi-Wan Kenobi telling Luke the force was with him.

"**Today we shall be making a list! You shall each pick someone you once cared for who is no longer a part of your life, for whatever reasons that may be. It can be a friend you grew apart from, an old neighbor who moved away, or someone ... " **He paused, unsure of how to best word his next statement.

"Someone who died?" Gaara offered bluntly.

Gai actually gave him a sheepish smile. **"Yes, that is what I was going for. Thank you, Gaara-kun." **

Gaara nodded.

"**Now, "** Gai gave each of them a piece of blank notebook paper and a pencil, along with a winning smile. **"Pick your important person and list the things you miss the most about them, whatever that may be. We shall share our lists afterwards, but only, of course, if you are willing." **

Tenten blinked at her piece of paper, pausing for just a moment to gather her thoughts, before leaning down and beginning to write. Lee went through a similar process, but neither Gaara nor Neji made any attempt to move. Gai waited for it, knowing it was coming.

"This is just as stupid as the crap we did yesterday. There's no way I'm doing it."

And there it was. Sucking in a deep breath, Gai fixed the Hyuuga boy with a stern look, any traces of amusement long gone. **"Neji-kun, you will participate with this activity." **

Neji didn't say anything in return, but the expression on his face said it all. 'Make me.'

Fine. He wanted to play hardball? Gai had dealt with students far more intimidating, bratty, and manipulative than Neji Hyuuga. And he already knew one of the boy's biggest weaknesses. The reason he was there at all. **"Neji, either you participate in the activity or I will be forced to call your home and inform them that you are refusing to cooperate." **

Neji's unique eyes tightened into a fearsome glare at the threat. "You said at the beginning we didn't have to do anything we didn't want to. It was part of your stupid rules."

He was cracking already. **"That is not what I said. The rules entail that you do not have to **_**share**_** anything you do not wish to. If you do not wish to share whatever you wrote afterwards, that is your decision. But you will do the activity. " **

For a moment there was silence, the teacher and student locked in a joint staring contest and battle of wills. Finally, "I don't have to share it when I'm done?"

As much as Neji tried to keep his voice cold and neutral, the older man heard the small note of vulnerability hidden underneath. His features softened in response. **"That is correct. No one but you will see the paper, no one will know anything you don't choose to tell them. Sharing is greatly appreciated, but it is not forced." **

The staring contest continued for about thirty seconds before pale eyes slowly moved down to the blank paper sitting innocently on the desk. Slender fingers inched forward to wrap around the pencil, and after what felt like an eternity, the lead point was finally placed against the white surface. Gai mentally breathed a small sigh of relief before looking away himself.

Lee and Gaara had both been openly watching the display, though Lee quickly looked back down again when he realized he was staring. Tenten appeared overly focused on her own task, meaning she had been listening to and hanging on every word, just not as blatantly as the boys. Gaara ... continued to stare, his own paper completely ignored.

Even the overly optimistic Gai felt himself get just a bit frustrated. Gaara was a very down-to-earth boy, he knew when there was no point in fighting something, and he was smart enough to figure out that the same circumstances that applied to Neji applied to him as well. So Gai was hoping the little red-head would get the hint, and just start writing without a confrontation. No such luck apparently.

"**Gaara-kun, do I need to repeat myself? " **

Gaara's response was one slow blink before teal eyes narrowed in ... not anger, not stubbornness, but confusion. "What?"

Gai found himself a bit confused by the reaction. **"You must participate the same as everyone else,"** he said slowly. **"Just like Neji-kun, you will not be forced to share, but you must at least do the activity."**

The angry little pout the boy always wore twisted farther into a genuine frown. "I can't."

Of course he couldn't. That would make things far too simple. **"Why can't you?"** When the boy hesitated to answer he continued, **"Just pick someone you used to care about -"**

"I _can't_. "

Okay, now Gai was officially frustrated. **"**_**Why**_** can't you? " **

"Because I don't have anyone I used to care about."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto cursed Kakashi to hell and back and back again for being so goddamn late all the time. He had left the blond alone in a classroom with two silent ravens, one of whom was, of course, drawing, and one who was, of course, brooding. And Sakura was nowhere to be found, meaning he couldn't flirt badly with her and start an argument in order to distract himself and ... well, and get some fucking noise going because it was just way too damn quiet. Besides, maybe today would be the day he'd get lucky and she would say yes to his advances ...

Maybe.

He had thought about starting an argument with teme, like he usually did, but ... well, he was worried the emo bastard might still be angry with him from yesterday. If he had ever been angry in the first place. (How the hell were you supposed to tell?) Regardless, he didn't really want to risk it, so he had kind of planned on giving Sasuke his space that day. It was just getting increasingly difficult to do the more bored he got. He couldn't even get something started with Sai because the strange, pale boy was _really_ into whatever it was he was drawing, and, quite frankly, Naruto would just feel plain bad if he interrupted.

The classroom door was flung open and the blond caught a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye, a broad smile immediately taking over his face. "Sakura-chaaan! You came! I'm so ha -" The rest of the words caught in his throat with a strangled gasp, as blue eyes fully took in the girl in front of him. It was enough to make Sasuke actually glance over, and even Sai paused his frantic drawing to blink questioningly in Naruto's direction before he too turned to the female of the group.

He blinked once more. "Oh. You altered your appearance, Ugly."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched once at the name before she chose to resolutely ignore it, a hand running self-consciously over her pink locks. "Yes, Sai, I did."

Sai's head tilted to the left as he fully took in her new appearance, his scrutiny making her a bit uncomfortable. Though that was mostly because Sai tended to examine other humans the way most people would a specimen under a microscope.

"Sakura-chan, you cut your hair!"

Pulling her eyes away from where they had locked with coal ones, Sakura offered Naruto a small smile and a nod, moving to take her usual seat between him and Sasuke. "It just kept getting in the way, I figured this would be much easier." The hand ran over it again. "Do you like it?" She resolutely kept her gaze turned away from any Uchihas.

"You bet! It makes you look older!" The blond paused, immediately wondering if he had worded that incorrectly. Girls were sensitive about their age or something like that, right? "I meant that in a good way, though. Like, it makes you look professional."

The hesitant smile actually brightened a little. "Thank you, Naruto."

Without thinking, the blond reached around the girl and whacked their previously silent classmate on the shoulder. "Hey, teme, don't you think Sakura-chan's hair looks nice?" he demanded.

Sakura's hands clenched in her lap, teeth coming out to worry her bottom lip. She didn't care what he thought anymore. Not at all.

Obsidian eyes glanced her way. "Hn. Looks fine."

An odd sense of relief washed over the tense girl and she allowed herself to relax back into her seat. Less than a minute later had Naruto and Sasuke arguing with Sakura interjecting hotly on ... _usually_ on the raven's behalf, while Sai silently drew next to them, only occasionally throwing a rude comment their way. And as this played out, none of them realized that the other two were thinking the same thing they were; how good it felt now that things were officially back to normal. And that despite what might have been said before, no harm was done.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kiba sighed and fiddled with a strap on his bookbag, brown eyes heavy with boredom and fatigue. Last night had been a _long_ night. And the school day had been even longer. And now, instead of being allowed to go home and just sleep, he was stuck here in the program for the messed up kids of Konoha High, even though he got decent grades, had plenty of friends, and had never caused anyone here any real trouble, at most earned himself a detention once in a while. He growled lowly in his throat. What the hell had made that psychologist lady and his own mother think he needed this? He wasn't like the other two in his group.

Not that he didn't like the other two in his group. Hinata was just about the sweetest thing to walk the earth, not to mention she had a killer rack. And Shino ... well, he couldn't say he particularly liked the weird kid (it was hard to really like someone who barely ever spoke) but he certainly didn't dislike him. He seemed like a decent enough guy, no matter how antisocial. But it was easy to see that they both had some problems, what with Hinata's frightfully low self-esteem and Shino's ... Shino being the way he was.

As if on cue, the classroom door opened to allow the male entrance. He walked in, took a seat at a desk one row and several seats away from Kiba's, and offered the sleepy boy a small nod before pulling out a book.

Kiba huffed a bit at the sight of the book Hatake had assigned them, reminding him of his not-so-great English grade. He fucking _hated_ reading. So he settled instead for staring openly at the other boy, nothing better to do coming to mind. Suddenly he frowned. "Hey, Shino, how tall are you?"

Shino paused, hand about to turn a page, startled at being addressed. "I believe I'm around 5'9''... Why?"

"You're just so _tall_. "The smaller boy pouted, thinking of his sister lording over him the night before." I'm only, like, 5'4''. I'm _tiny_. "

Shino twitched a little in his seat, unsure of what to say. He wasn't used to making random smalltalk with people. "Hinata is smaller."

Kiba made a disgruntled noise and waved the comment off. "Hinata's a girl, they're supposed to be smaller. It's _weird_ when the girl's taller than the guy. "

Shino had never really given that much thought, so he could hardly comment. "I... am sure you will continue to grow. We're only in ninth grade."

Another noise, this one of reluctant agreement. "Yeah, but you'll keep growin' too. Guess you'll always be bigger'n me, huh?"

The quiet boy only tilted his head in answer, but he was thinking about how he would much rather be Kiba's height than his own. While he was by no means the tallest person in their class, he was definitely up there, and that only served to draw more attention to him. Attention he really did not want.

It was then Hinata came in, and Kiba's attention was instantly on her, greeting her with full enthusiasm and commencing to tease and make her blush. Shino welcomed the distraction for the loud boy, turning back to his book. Kiba always insisted on talking to him, particularly when they were alone, and ... Well, it wasn't _bad_ really, he just never knew what to do when it happened. No one else ever really bothered to try and talk with him.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Gai found himself frozen after Gaara's last statement, unsure of just how he was supposed to react. The other three in the room had abandoned all attempts at pretending not to listen and now had their gazes fixed on the frowning red-head. Gaara for his part still looked somewhat confused, and Gai was almost sure the boy wasn't _trying_ to be difficult or cause problems. So he took a deep breath and tried again.

"**I'm sorry, Gaara-kun, you said you ... couldn't think of anyone to write about? "**

Gaara's frown deepened. "Yeah."

To his right, Neji made a noise somewhere in between a snort and a scoff. "Right. In that case, I can't think of anyone either."

Black-rimmed eyes slowly shifted from Gai to the long-haired brunette and the confusion got visibly worse. "But you were just writing about someone."

Neji opened his mouth, as if to retort, before he realized Gaara's comment hadn't been smart nor sarcastic. It had been a genuine, simple fact. Meaning Gaara had mistakenly taken what he'd said as honesty. Meaning ... "You're serious." The shock in his voice was evident.

"What?" Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously, and it was easy to tell he was starting to get angry, his frustration at the situation beginning to get the better of him. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists a few times, as if fighting the urge to just hit something and make everything better. He looked Gai's way sharply. "Look, I can't do it because I don't have anyone to do it on. What the hell do you want?"

"Okay, that's quite all right, Gaara." Gai knew a ticking time bomb when he saw it. He also knew of Gaara's infamous temper. A temper he had yet to see ignite and hoped he never would see. "It's fine, we'll just think of something else for you to do."

The boy's stiff shoulder's eased an increment. Gai desperately racked his brains for a decent alternative activity to give to the red-head, mind of course coming up blank when he needed it to work quickly.

"Um, Gai-sensei," Lee's voice sounded out hesitantly. "If you find it suitable, perhaps Gaara-kun would like to make my list with me, since he cannot make one of his own. I do not mind sharing it."

Gai's eyebrows raised. "That ... **sounds like an excellent idea, Lee. How very kind and youthful of you! "**

Lee positively beamed before rising from his seat and slowly approaching the table Gaara sat at, looking like he was about to face off against a nest of angry hornets rather than make a list with a freshman. Teal eyes followed the older boy's every movement, like a tiger stalking its prey, as he slowly slid into the seat next to him, unaware of the way Gai watched, ready to jump in (literally) at the first sign of trouble. He was trying to get his brain to just _calm down,_ but it felt like his head was on fire. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, and he didn't know why this was all getting him so upset.

"Here we are now, Gaara-kun," Lee said happily, setting the paper down between the two of them. "I am making my list on a girl who was several years younger than me and very much like my little sister before she ... moved. Do you have any younger siblings?"

For a moment Gaara just stared while Lee held his breath. "... No. I'm the youngest." The fire was dying down now.

"Ah." The older boy nodded sagely, pushing the list a bit closer to the red-head so he could clearly read what was already written. "Then I shall do my best to explain the joys of having someone younger to care for."

Gaara nodded slowly and began intently studying Lee's surprisingly neat handwriting.

As Lee chattered on, Neji watched the exchange somewhat curiously before he finally turned back to his own list, a bit perplexed but not particularly disturbed by the whole incident. Tenten meanwhile was writing her own list almost frantically, brown eyes locked on her paper, refusing to look up. How the hell had she ended up there? Dear God, all three of those boys were off their rockers in different ways, and crazy fucking Maito-sensei wasn't much better. Neji was clearly messed up emotionally and just too pompous to realize it, Gaara was a complete fucking psychopath if you said the wrong thing, and Lee ... well, he was _Lee_, And apparently he had no sense of personal safety. Really, what had she done to deserve this? Just because she didn't appreciate it and stood up for herself when those stupid cheerleader whores talked about her ... It wasn't like she had ever gotten into any real trouble. She'd never attacked them or anything. It wasn't her fault the prissy bitches couldn't take a threat or two. It really wasn't fair.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Asuma dragged a hand over his bearded face, thanking God for the cooperation he had gotten so far that day. Ino seemed to be in a particularly good mood, though he was pretty sure he didn't want to know why, Shikamaru was feeling particularly lazy, meaning it was too troublesome for him to really start anything with Ino (yet at least), and Chouji was even more subdued than usual, though the teacher wasn't sure how much of a good thing that was. Especially since it had only started after the larger boy had started making his list. A list he had stared at for quite some time before writing, an almost desperate look on his face. Asuma actually found himself a little worried by it.

He gave the kids a nice long time to make their lists, all of them actually utilizing that time and doing things properly, rather than just jotting a few things down. Another good thing, because the last thing he wanted was an argument about whether or not they were taking this seriously. So when not only a decent amount of time had passed but all three of the kids seemed to be running out of things to write, he told them they were done and could relax.

Shikamaru stretched his arms up over his head, before tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his well-worn t-shirt. He had already stripped off his hoodie and he was still boiling. "Troublesome ... Ino-love, mind cracking that window for me?" He batted brown eyes prettily her way.

Ino calmly laced her fingers together and rested her chin on top, smirk in place, blue eyes flashing deviously. "Keep it up, Shika. One day you're going to fall asleep like the lazyass you are, and when that day comes ... I'm going to cut your balls off and feed them to you."

"Weeell, feisty today, are we, kitten?"

"Would you like to see my claws?"

As per usual, the teacher in the room pretended he couldn't hear a word they were saying, focusing instead on getting the next task done. Now would be the slightly more difficult part, but he was hoping they would cooperate with that as well. And hopefully they could all stay fucking _respectful_ of each other. Though, so long as Ino had taken things seriously, he doubted Shikamaru would say anything actually rude or mean. The sleepy brunette never seemed to want to genuinely hurt the blond, just get her riled up for his own amusement sometimes.

Regardless, he thought it best to start with the most cooperative of the three and get things started off on the right foot. "Chouji, how 'bout you go first. Mind sharing a little bit of your list with us?"

Chouji, who had yet to pull out one of his infamous bag of chips, fiddled with the end of his paper, eyes looking down and only down. His tongue darted out to lick plump lips and his somewhat spiky, unique hairstyle swayed slightly when he shook his head. "I don't want to share, sensei."

Ino and Shikamaru both immediately stopped their playful banter, both shooting their classmate startled looks while Asuma attempted to not do the same. Chouji was a naturally quiet and subdued person, but he wasn't generally very private, particularly given who the others in his group were and how much they knew about him anyway. He had shared everything quite willingly so far.

Asuma cleared his throat harshly, trying to cover up his surprise. "You sure, Chouji?"

The brunette's large fist crumpled the end of the paper, eyes still fixed anywhere but the other people in the room. "Yes," he said, his voice a bit more firm now. "I'm sure."

_**Dattebayo!**_

A small sigh escaped the silver-haired teacher's lips as he basked in the peaceful silence of the classroom. Writing lists first and then sharing was a good idea. Never mind the fact that Shizune had an actual, psychological reason for ordering it, just the peace and quiet of it was nice.

The psychologist had called a quick, ten minute meeting that morning before school started, wanting just a very brief rundown on how things had gone after trying out the first real 'activity'. She had seemed unsurprised by the responses the teachers gave, apparently having somewhat expected it to turn out that way. The fact that Sasuke and a few others really hadn't wanted to share didn't surprise her either, and she stressed how important it was not to_ make_ them share anything before they were ready. It would only set them on the defensive and would, quite frankly, ruin any chances they had of getting them to open up. But she still wanted them to participate in the activity and make them think about whatever it was that activity was designed to make them think about. Hence the writing it out first idea.

Because it wouldn't force them to share anything out loud, still respecting their sense of privacy and staying within the 'rules', the children had to cooperate lest they get a phone call home. They would be encouraged to share afterwards, but not forced, and it was her hope that eventually they would all get to the point where they would share at least a little. But even if they didn't, whatever it was they wrote would still stick in their minds.

Another sigh as the children all seemed to be losing steam and running out of things to write. After Tenzou had told him just what had gone down yesterday, Kakashi had been a little worried about how the kids would react around each other from now on. He had made it his mission to get to group on time that day, not particularly wanting to leave the little bundles of puberty alone. So of course, that was one of the few days he was genuinely detained by something and ended up being late by no fault of his own. Very late, in fact. He was half expecting to walk into his classroom and find it in shambles simply because he'd left Naruto unsupervised for so long. Instead he'd walked into a scene that was ... completely normal. His rows of desks were all as they should be, nothing on his personal teacher's desk had been touched, his 'orderly mess' of books and papers stacked along the back windowsill were just as always, and there, at the small rectangular table stuffed in the corner, sat his four charges, bickering pointlessly just like always, and shouting "You're late!" in voices more heinous than nails on a chalkboard. The relief was palpable.

"Hey hey, Kakai-sensei!"

Kakashi sat up a little straighter, smiling in the loud blond's direction. The children it seemed, had shortened his three syllable name down to two, and it now came out sounding like 'Kakai' nearly every time. Something he found he didn't mind much, since his name was a bit long, and the other alternatives of shortening it were 'Kaka' or 'Kashi'. Kaka made him think of unpleasant things and Kashi ... well, that sounded oddly intimate for something his students should call him. "Yes, Naruto?"

"I think we're all done now. Teme's gettin 'moody and Sai-bastard's started smiling again."

Kakashi glanced at the others to see Sakura looking bored, Sasuke ... well, getting bitchy because he was bored, and Sai smiling that _creepy_ smile once more. He always seemed to revert back to it when he wasn't sure which expression to wear on his face. An occurrence which, Kakashi found, was rather often. "Looks like you're right." He cracked his knuckles, praying things continued to proceed well. "Who wants to share a little bit about what they wrote?"

No volunteers. Shocking. Now he had the choice of going with the student that was nearly, if not completely, impossible to upset, or saving that student for last and going with the most uncooperative one instead. Well, he had always liked to save the best for last. So, "Sasuke, would you like to share something with us?"

Sasuke scowled, dark eyebrows knitting. "No."

But of course he wouldn't. "Oh, c'mon. Just a teensy-weensy little bit?"

The duck-haired boy's face twisted into an odd grimace. Hatake could be really _weird_ sometimes. Like the way he would randomly giggle in the middle of class for reasons no one could understand. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kakashi pouted. "But Saaasuke-kun -"

"Fine! I did it on a relative. They're dead. Happy?"

Kakashi was indeed. Getting even that much out of Sasuke was quite the feat. "Thank you, Sasuke. Your cooperation is very much appreciated."

Sasuke looked as if he'd like nothing better than to fly across the table and strangle the older man.

"Sakura, how about you?"

Sakura shifted a little and shrugged. "I did it on a girl I was best friends with back when we were younger. Now she's a stupid, conniving whore who doesn't deserve the air she breathes." Pink lips smiled sweetly. "Okay, sensei?"

A shiver ran down his spine. "Ah yes, Sakura, that's very good. Thank you." Crazy teenage girls ... "Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged much like Sakura, but he skillfully avoided looking at the teacher sitting across from him. "I did it on an old friend."

Kakashi patiently waited for more before he realized it wasn't coming and bit back his disappointment. Even Naruto didn't want to share. Perfect. As glad as he was for the pay this program was giving him, it was starting to seem there really wasn't any point to all of this besides torturing the kids who didn't even want to be there. Really, was this doing any good at all?

* * *

I think starting next chapter I'm going to start playing around with who is listed as the two main characters and make it match the chapter, since there are so many people playing a part in this story. Like, I know for a fact Sai will be one of the ones next time. So if you go to look for the story and can't find it, that's why. Lucky for you, the title's only three letters long, so it's nice and easy to find. Just use the pretty search bar.

I don't care if they aren't actually saying "Kakai" in the anime, that's what it sounds like. So don't comment on it, please.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	8. The Drama of Teenage Angst

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Drama of Teenage Angst**

Shikamaru shifted in his seat, expression bored as ever but brown eyes sharp and alert. "C'mon, Chouji, just share a little. Not like it's a big deal."

The larger brunette's fist tightened painfully around the edge of his paper, head shaking slowly. "It might be."

Asuma frowned in confusion, but both Shikamaru and Ino seemed to understand instantly what Chouji was hinting at. He shot the male of the pair a questioning look and watched as the ponytailed boy let his gaze slide over to Ino. That just made Asuma frown harder. Chouji was worried about what Ino would think?

"It won't be, Chouji," Shika assured, giving his friend a pointed look.

Chouji shook his head again. "I don't wanna make anyone uncomfortable or anything."

Asuma still couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on. He knew Ino made Chouji uneasy sometimes, but Shikamaru's presence had always given the large boy confidence before, enough so that he never really bothered to watch what he said. He'd definitely never been so guarded before.

Ino ran long nails over the edge of her desk, back and forth in a distracting motion, eyes following as they went. "It's fine, Chouji," she said softly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone else in the room. "I don't mind."

"I couldn't think of anyone else," the boy insisted almost desperately, and Ino nodded mutely in response.

The pieces finally flew together for Asuma. Chouji had made his list about Ino, that's why he hadn't wanted to share. The teacher had to admit, it was a little awkward. "Don't worry, Chouji, you don't have to share anything. You have a perfectly good reason not to."

He was offered a weak nod, and Shikamaru immediately started up another argument with Ino, just to break the silence; but nothing could fully erase the heavy tension that hung in the air now.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Kurenai watched closely as Hinata fidgeted in her seat, hands either pressing fingers together or playing with the hem of worn sleeves, pale eyes darting about and landing everywhere but the people she was addressing. It was always a little sad to see just how incredibly self-conscious the poor girl was, especially when she had no reason to be. She was sweet, pretty, and intelligent; just what was she so afraid of?

"I, um..." Hinata bit her lip hard, trying to force her racing heart to calm down. The last thing in the world she needed was to have a panic attack when there was absolutely no reason for it. "I d-don't think I should give too much information... on the p-person I made the list about. Because... b-b-because I think everyone here kn-knows him."

The older woman offered her a smile and a proud expression. It was just like Hinata to think of another person's privacy in this type of situation, though Kurenai was curious as to who the shy girl had chosen to make her list on. When the teacher had first explained the activity and used the phrase 'someone who was once close to you and is no longer prominent in your life', Hinata had almost immediately asked an interesting question. Apparently this person was still a prominent part in her life, they had just grown greatly apart over the years, and she wanted to make sure that was okay. Then she had proceeded to write her list with gusto, easily outdoing both of the boys from the glimpses Kurenai had caught. Whoever this person was, Kurenai suspected Hinata still cared for them very much. "That's very thoughtful of you, Hinata."

A shaky nod, some more fidgeting. "Well, the person I made the list about was... a friend, I guess you could say. We were very close when we were younger. Now..." She smiled almost bitterly. "He's not so crazy about me anymore."

Kiba made a noise similar to a snort and lifted his head from its spot on the desk. "He's an idiot then. Who wouldn't be crazy about you?"

Hinata flushed so red at the words they were all sure she would faint.

"Why don't you tell us something you miss about him?"

The girl bit her lip, pondering on what exactly to say and making sure it would give no hints to the person's identity. "I think what I miss most is how he used to be. When we were little he was a very sweet boy. Over the years he got angry at... different things. He got colder." She actually shivered a little. "He's not at all like how he used to be."

"How come he don't like you no more?" Kiba asked somewhat curiously, making Kurenai frown at him, but Hinata just offered another wry smile.

"H-h-he doesn't like much of anything anymore. It's not just me." _Though he likes to take it out on me._ Even Hinata with her low self-esteem knew when someone blamed her for things she didn't do. When they projected their anger for something completely different onto her. Her family did that a lot it seemed.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Lee went on and on with enthusiasm about a girl who, as he had told Gaara, was like a little sister to him for several years. How he knew this girl he didn't say and no one asked, not that they would have been able to get a word in edgewise. Still, despite the slightly annoying tone of his rambling, it was kind of cute how much he clearly cared for this child, whoever she was. Tenten actually felt a smile tug at her lips. Lee was definitely insane, but he wasn't so bad.

"**Thank you very much, Lee, for sharing so openly in the spirit of youth!"**

Lee's grin managed to widen... somehow. Gaara wondered if his face muscles were built differently than most people's.

"**Tenten, would you like to share something about your own youthful love?" **

The brunette made a bit of a face but offered a small nod all the same. "Sure... I did it on my grandmother. She died two years ago from a stroke, but she really wasn't that old. Only sixty-nine..." The girl rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. It felt... weird to be talking about this with the people currently in the room. Even most of her friends didn't know this.

"**Were you two close?"** Gai asked respectfully, and the girl nodded immediately.

"Uh, yeah, we were." _Very close_. In fact, she had lived with the woman, had been the one to find her body when she got home from school, lying on the bedroom floor, already cold. That she was not going to share. "She was around a lot."

Gai nodded somberly. **"Would you mind sharing something you miss about her?"**

Tenten cocked her head a bit, thinking, forgetting entirely that she had a whole list in front of her of things she missed about the old woman. "Well, I mean I just plain miss _her_, y'know. But if you want something specific..." Brown eyes scrunched a bit in contemplation. "We used to bake cookies about once a month, ever since I was little. She really liked baking, and even though I actually hated it, I always looked forward to it. Because she enjoyed it so much. It made me happy to see her so happy. I never told her baking was one of my least favorite things to do."

Once she had finished she felt the back of her neck grow hot with realization. That had been a private memory, something special for her to think about whenever she was feeling down or lonely. She had never told that to anyone, and now she had just shared it with a group of completely insane boys, who were probably going to laugh at her for sounding girly when she so obviously wasn't. Fuck Maito-sensei and his odd, unexplainable way of making her want to talk.

Shutting her eyes momentarily in dejection, she opened them again and bravely faced the pair of boys on her left. Gaara looked the same as he always did, fixing her with a look that was both bored and pissed off, and Lee was giving her puppy eyes, not the kind that said he understood where she had been coming from, but the kind that said he genuinely felt for her. Okay, so maybe she wouldn't have to worry about them, but...

Her gaze snapped forward to the long-haired brunette sitting a table in front of her. He was sideways in his seat, giving her a good view of his profile, and surprisingly, he wasn't smirking in that smug, superior way he so often did. She held her breath, waiting for him to scoff and throw some degrading comment her way, something about her being so sentimental, but there was nothing. He kept his eyes straight ahead, never once glancing at her, and his expression was blank and neutral, if not a little uncomfortable. Like he wanted to get the hell out of there.

Waiting as another moment passed in silence, the girl finally allowed herself to relax, realizing there would be no repercussions for her temporary lapse in sanity. In fact... that really hadn't been all that bad. Not nearly as bad as she thought sharing something semi-private would be.

"**Neji-kun, would you like to share something with us?" **

Pale eyes flitted over to Gai's form, carefully guarded. "I'd rather not," though his voice was much softer than usual and held none of its normal malice.

The teacher immediately nodded his assent. **"Of course, Neji-kun. You are not forced to share anything." **

Neji said nothing, just crinkled the list of his dead father in his hand.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"I did mine on my grandpa," Shika drawled lazily, eyes drooping in fatigue. He really wished he was high at the moment, or that he could at least have a cigarette. Something to make this less boring. "We were kinda close, he took me fishing and stuff. Fishing's nice. You can just sorta lay back and watch the clouds, just recast the line every once in a while..."

Ino rolled her eyes and muttered, "Lazyass," under her breath.

"Anyway, he's dead now. Died when I was ten. He was a lot of fun to have around, was the only person who could really handle my mom. Was always good for a laugh." He glanced at his classmates. "You guys remember him, right?"

Chouji quickly nodded while Ino groused, "Of course we do. We were at the damn funeral."

"Down, girl. It was just a question."

Asuma just _knew_ that he would have to stop Ino from physically attacking the lazy brunette one day. "Thank you, Shika." He paused, trying to think of something profound to say. He was the adult here, after all. "I'm sure your grandfather's glad you remember him so fondly."

Shikamaru stopped smirking Ino's way and blinked in surprise at the math teacher. "Wow, Asuma-sensei. That was kinda lame."

The other two snickered in obvious agreement, and Asuma felt his cheeks heat up. Damn brats. "Ino, how about you share something?"

Ino hummed in acceptance, pulling her list idly closer. "I did it on a girl I was best friends with for a while, back in elementary school. We were really close before she started acting like such a loser."

Asuma stared, eyebrows raised. How sweet.

"You really think Sakura's that much of a loser?" Shika asked, clearly amused.

"She is a loser."

"I don't think she's a loser. You think she's a loser, Chouji?"

Chouji looked like he'd rather not get involved. "Not... really..."

"What the hell do you two know anyway? You're both losers too! There's a reason I'm not friends with any of you anymore!"

Chouji flinched. Shika smirked a bit again. "Now now, love--"

"Stop using that fucking expression!"

"Don't take your insecurity issues out on us, kitten."

"What insecurity issues, pineapple head?"

"The ones you clearly have hidden deep in your psyche." Shikamaru's taunting smile immediately fell away, leaving behind a deadly serious expression. "Because only people who aren't secure with themselves feel the need to call others losers. And only people who feel bad about themselves try so hard to make other people feel bad."

_**Dattebayo!**_

"I don't really wanna talk about who I made my list on." Kiba scratched the back of his shaggy brown hair with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, sensei."

"That's all right, Kiba, you don't have to." The Spanish teacher felt the familiar wave of apprehension wash over her as she turned red eyes towards the quietest member of the group. She always felt almost _bad_ for asking Shino to participate when he so obviously didn't want to.

The hooded boy caught the woman's gaze and shrugged even before she said anything. "I suppose sharing could not hurt."

Kurenai gaped.

"I did it on a boy I was friends with when I was younger. His name was Nathan Davenport."

Kiba sat up straighter in his seat, face alert. Like a puppy with their ears pricked up. "Hey, I remember him. He went to elementary school with us. Then he moved in, like, fourth grade or somethin'."

Shino inclined his head slowly. "Yes."

There was a moment of silence while Kiba's eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air, almost like he was trying to _smell_ his classmate. "You... are you the kid that was always with him? The quiet one with the curly hair?"

Another nod, though this one visibly more hesitant. "Yes."

"That was you?" The surprised yelp was followed by Kiba all but leaping from his seat, straining to get closer to Shino without actually leaving his desk, like it would let him see through the layers of protective clothing the boy wore. "No wonder I didn't remember you from back then. Well, I do remember you, I just didn't know it was you." He paused then, repeating the words in his head to be sure they made sense.

Kurenai had Hinata both shared a small sigh at the smaller boy's antics before the teacher decided to steer the situation back in the right direction. "So, Shino, you and this boy were friends until he moved?"

There was the familiar rustle of clothes as Shino shifted a little. "No. We stopped being friends before he moved... We had a disagreement."

"Hey hey," Kiba demanded, still unwilling to let the issue go. "How come I don't remember seeing you in fifth grade? You just came to middle school like..." He flailed his arms, motioning to the substantial clothing. "That's why I didn't recognize you, I just thought you were a new kid or from another elementary school or somethin'."

Hinata watched the exchange curiously but without a sound.

"I was home-schooled during fifth grade."

"Huh? How come?"

Dark glasses flashed, catching the fluorescent light of the classroom. "None of your business."

The tone of voice didn't change in the least from its usual monotone, but Kiba flinched back as if burned all the same, the proverbial whipped puppy. "Right, man. Sorry."

Kurenai knew without having to ask that Shino was officially done sharing. In fact, she'd be lucky if she ever got him to talk again now.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Sai, would you share a little bit?"

Sai, who had almost instinctively began to doodle on the corner of his paper, locked dark eyes with his for a moment, followed by a nod. "Of course. What exactly would you like to know?"

Kakashi eye-smiled at the boy for his willingness. "Who did you make your list about?"

"My brother."

Sasuke actually twitched in his seat a bit at the words, and both Sakura and Naruto also looked deathly attentive; morbidly curious about what kind of family had spawned their odd classmate. "You and your brother aren't close anymore?" Kakashi offered slowly.

Sai's smile returned. "No. He's dead."

That horror movie feeling was back again. Kakashi tried not to let it show on the visible part of his face how unnerving the pale boy was. "Okay... how about--"

"How'd he die?"

"Naruto!" the teacher hissed, surprised by the interruption and the blunt question from the blond. You didn't just ask someone--

"He was sick. The doctors diagnosed him with leukemia, and he died six months later."

Naruto nodded, blue eyes serious and sympathetic, but not in the generic 'oh poor you' type of way. This seemed much more genuine, like most things Naruto did.

Kakashi thought he should step in before this went into dangerous territory.

"Did he get treatment?" It was Sakura this time. "Like chemo or--"

"Yes. It didn't work."

Very dangerous territory.

"How long ago was this?" Naruto asked.

"Six years ago."

"So you were, like, eight? How old was he?"

He should stop it.

Sai tilted his head in thought for a brief moment. "He was eight as well."

Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

"Were you twins?" Sakura asked, trying to make sense of it as well.

He couldn't figure out why he wasn't stopping it.

"No. He was" --another pause-- "five months older than me."

"Huh?"

"Were you half-brothers?" Sasuke, even Sasuke was taking enough of an interest to ask questions. Clearly hell had frozen over.

And then Kakashi knew why he wasn't stopping it. The kids were doing exactly as they were supposed to, discussing the activity, in a group, on their own, without him needing to say a word. It was working just like the program was designed to. The reason it hadn't worked before was because you needed to share and ask questions in order to make it work, and thus far, Sai was the only one willing to openly share. The teacher sank back and just listened, not about to interfere unless necessary. He would watch for now and see where this went.

"No." Sai seemed now to understand where the others confusion was coming from. "He was not really my brother. He was actually a distant cousin, but we both lived with the same relative because our parents were dead."

The two other boys shifted self-consciously.

"What was his name?" Sakura asked.

"Shin." There was a moment of silence and Sai, ever diligent as he was, still remembered that he was supposed to be talking about his list. "I wrote down things I enjoyed about him and used to enjoy doing with him." He glanced towards Kakashi. "Should I read the list?"

"Maa," Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "No, you don't have to do that, Sai. Just tell us one or two of the most prominent things on there."

The pale boy nodded before letting his eyes scan through his own writing, immediately freezing when they landed on a particular line. To everyone's sheer amazement, his lips twitched, just the slightest, into a real smile before it disappeared again. "Leggos... He really liked to play with his leggos, and he, of course, always wanted me to play with him. I always wanted to color but... He would build these ridiculously elaborate forts and then get those little plastic green army men. Make me have wars with him... He was very loud and energetic, he always had to be moving. He rarely thought before he spoke... Really, he was very much like Dickless in many ways."

Naruto, for his part, was quite flustered at being compared to his pale classmate's dead 'brother'. That, and they were all surprised by how much Sai had just talked. Normally stringing three or four sentences together seemed to be his limit.

"Thank you, Sai," Kakashi said with full sincerity, carefully watching the boy's face. He glanced towards the others, figuring it would be best to encourage the communication they had going earlier. "You guys have any other questions?"

There was a moment of silence before Naruto hesitantly asked, "Do you miss him? Your brother?"

It was the kind of question that would normally have an obvious answer, but with Sai who seemed to have no real emotions, one could never be sure.

"Miss him?" Sai mumbled softly, the words rolling off his tongue like he was tasting them for the first time. "The feeling of regretting the absence of a certain person or object." Obsidian eyes were locked on the scratched tabletop, brows twitching in something akin to confusion. Kakashi and the three other children watched as Sai's face seemed to war with itself, an expression that could only possibly be described as sadness and longing attempting desperately to break through the usually blank facade.

"Yes." Eyes looked up, the genuine expression on the pale boy's face making him almost unrecognizable as Sai. "I believe I do miss him."

* * *

I know these last two chapters have been kind of serious and angsty (hence the chapter title), but it will lighten up again starting next chapter. Promise. The serious stuff is sorta necessary for the plot, so when it shows up, please bear with it.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	9. Half Man, Half Bear, and Half Pig

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Half Man, Half Bear, and Half Pig**

"Is Sai in therapy?"

Shizune blinked in surprise at the man who had just burst into her office. She had gotten into the habit of staying at school until the program was over, just in case a serious problem ever arose; her aunt stayed ridiculously late anyway, always doing some kind of extra work (or catching a nap at her desk while pretending to do work), so it didn't make much difference. Then she would generally spend her evening in front of the TV or curled up with a good book, trying to keep her aunt from consuming anything alcoholic and simultaneously insisting she _did not _want to join eharmony.

Yet during this comfortable, monotonous routine she had fallen into, never had any of the teachers approached her after the program was over for the day. And she had never, quite frankly, expected Kakashi, bored, disinterested, seemingly uncaring Kakashi, to be the first. "I'm sorry?"

"Sai," the man repeated, "is he in therapy? I mean real therapy, not just this... thing."

Shizune wasn't sure whether or not that was a shot at 'this thing', but she decided to ignore it either way. "Why are you so keen on knowing all of a sudden?" Apprehension began to bubble up in her gut. "What happened?" Surely _Sai_ out of all the children hadn't caused any real trouble, right?

"Well for starters, he just about proved your program can work assuming the kids cooperate and everything goes the way you have planned. But more importantly, he _needs_ therapy." Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Psychology isn't exactly my forte, but I took enough courses in school and I've worked with kids long enough to know when one has suffered severe emotional trauma. Nothing else could possibly describe what I just saw. That kid needs to talk to someone."

Shizune slowly rearranged some papers, keeping her face neutral as she spoke. "You're right, he does; but no, he isn't in therapy. I've talked with his guardian several times regarding the matter, and it never went far." She fixed the masked man with a serious yet regretful look. "I can't force him to go to therapy, and I can't force his guardian to send him."

Kakashi understood that, and he knew it wasn't in anyway her fault, seeing as how she was completely powerless to do anything other than make suggestions. But, "The kid still needs something."

Shizune's next smile was downright rapacious, and forced the man to take a step back. "Well now... that's what you're here for, isn't it?"

With those words, Kakashi felt his entire line of thinking rework itself. Maybe this lousy program was more important than he'd first thought.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"So hey, man, we still on for Friday?" Kiba slapped the loud blond congenially on the back, simultaneously slinging an arm around the little redhead's shoulders. It had taken a while, but Gaara had finally come to accept physical contact from him so long as it wasn't an everyday occurrence.

Naruto shot a feral grin back at the brunette, their sharp canines dually flashing, making Gaara glare in amusement. "You bet. I'm psyched! Seriously can't wait!"

"Shika and Chouji are still in?"

"We're in," the ponytailed boy drawled, sauntering up to them with Chouji by his side, downing chips like the world would end. "It's troublesome, but we're in."

Kiba and Naruto both started in on him then, teasing him about how everything was troublesome. The boys, who normally didn't see each other outside of school, had finally decided to make plans to go to a movie and hang out that coming Friday. This was mostly brought on by the 'popular' upperclassmen suddenly raving about Josh Marsh's party, going on and on about how it would be the party of the year, making the boys feel like they were trapped in a bad teenage movie. Yet at the same time, it had motivated them to finally take some initiative and do something together the night of the 'awesome' party none of them would have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into. Naruto and Gaara were normally together anyway, Shikamaru and Chouji were rarely separated, and Kiba... well, Kiba hadn't been lying before when he said he had a lot of friends just no really good ones. He and Naruto shared the unique ability to fit in with just about any crowd, so long as it wasn't a bunch of stuck-up bastards, and so the dog-lover usually spent his Friday nights calling around, finding a group of people he knew that was doing something fun, and going wherever the night took him. And if worst came to worst, he could always convince Hana to do something with him... which still sounded lame, but hey, he liked his sister.

While Gaara ignored the commotion around him, teal eyes followed a certain tall sophomore as he made his way across the parking lot and away from the school, walking home as he did everyday. He really couldn't say where the idea came from, but it hit him like a bolt of lightening, hard and strong, and refused to be pushed away and ignored. He shifted under Kiba's hold, looking at the others. "I was wondering if I could invite someone to join us."

There was a moment of shocked silence, mostly just at the fact that Gaara was making any kind of willing effort towards socialization, before Naruto cheerfully crowed, "Sure, Tanuki-chan! The more the merrier!"

Sigh. "Whatever. Troublesome."

Kiba scratched lightly at his chin, eyes focused somewhere in the distance before turning back towards his friends. "Y'know, the same goes for me. There's someone I wanna invite too."

Naruto blinked at the other boy before leaning closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "Uh, Kiba... I don't think your sister's gonna want to spend her Friday night hanging out with us."

He was promptly hit on top of blond spikes. "Not her, dumbass!"

"Troublesome."

_**Dattebayo!**_

The flick of a lighter sounded softly as Asuma used his jacket to shield the small flame from the chilly autumn wind. He inhaled cancerous toxins and released them once more with a relieved sigh. Smoking was a horrible addiction, but he was trapped, no doubt about it. Placing the light brown end back between his lips and digging around his pocket for his keys, he stopped short, blinking in surprise at the sight before him. "Ino?"

The girl, who had unsurprisingly been playing with her phone, looked up from where she was seated on the front stairs, pink hood pulled up to fight the cold. "Oh, sensei. You're still here."

Asuma shifted the messenger bag on his shoulder filled with schoolwork and made his way up to stand beside her. "Yeah, had to put some grades in the computer. Why are you still here? Need a ride?" Technically, teachers weren't allowed to drive students anywhere without their parents' permission first, but Asuma had done it before on a few occasions and knew other teachers who did it all the time. He didn't mind risking it.

"No thanks, sensei, my ride's almost here." Ice blue eyes suddenly sharpened and shot a fearsome glare at the still lit cigarette. Asuma sheepishly stubbed it out against the side of the building, rubbing the back of his neck. Not that he was afraid of a student seeing him smoking after hours; they were high schoolers, they knew lots of people, including teachers, smoked, but Ino had really seemed to hate that little white stick.

"Okay, if you're sure. Your father's awfully late today."

She waved a hand at him dismissively, already fiddling with her phone once more. "Daddy's not picking me up today."

The big man frowned. "Oh?" He had been leaving just as Ino was being picked up on several occasions and had thus caught glimpses of the middle-aged blond man and his expensive car. He was under the impression that was who picked her up everyday. "But you do have a ride?"

"Of course." The sound of obnoxiously loud hip-hop with the bass cranked up slowly started to fill their ears, making the blond stand and gather her things. "That's probably him now."

_Of course_, Asuma thought with a disdainful eye roll. Not that he didn't enjoy playing his own music loud, but there was a difference. You could always just _tell_ when someone turned their radio up just to gain everyone's attention when they drove by rather than because they actually just enjoyed the music at that volume. He imagined Ino's ride was likely one of those lousy jock punks. He wasn't disappointed when the car, nicer than anything any teenager should own, pulled up and the driver was Brian Schaeffer.

Ino immediately flashed a winning smile the boy's way, leaving Asuma without even the slightest goodbye, not that he'd expected any differently. The bearded teacher actually had to fight the urge to grab the girl and shake her, yell at her that she could do so much better and was degrading herself both by acting this way and hanging around with assholes like her current boyfriend. Instead he just lit himself another cigarette, watching as the car drove off and planning ahead for some of the group activities they could do when he was given free reign over the program. There was a good chance nothing would work, but he could at least try. He kind of felt he had to.

_**Dattebayo!**_

The sportscar tore into the driveway and near breakneck speed, terrifying the raven in the passenger seat as he gripped the whatever part of the car was closest and held on for dear life. Fucking crazy Itachi...

"Sorry, little brother, I'm in a hurry today."

Sasuke just shot his brother a silent glare, grabbing the backpack at his feet and climbing from the car with whatever dignity he could still muster, slamming the door particularly hard behind him. Itachi just sighed and threw the vehicle into reverse, backing out of the driveway and taking off once more. He hadn't lied, he really was in a hurry. His appointment started in ten minutes and it was a twenty minute drive. He really should have known better than to make the appointment so close to Sasuke's pickup time, but it was the only spot the doctor had open that entire week, and Itachi really didn't want to put it off an extra week. Every two weeks was working well, and whatever worked he wanted to stick with. Sasuke wasn't the only one in the family who needed therapy.

Sasuke meanwhile trudged through the house, kicking slightly worn shoes off in the entryway, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging it neatly in the hall closet. Their house, the same both brothers had grown up in, really wasn't that large a place. Most of the money that went along with the Uchiha name had actually belonged to the boys' grandfather and later uncle. Their father, on the other hand, had declined going into the family business and chose to be a high-ranking police officer instead. Their house was a comfortable, middle-class, four bedroom, two and a half bath with a two car garage and lovely brick exterior. Very nice and well-maintained, but nothing overly fancy, and certainly nothing compared to the nearby Hyuuga manor. And while they now had more than enough money left by their grandfather and, though Sasuke was loathe to admit it, being raked in by Itachi's business to buy more spacious accommodations, neither boy felt the need nor the desire to do so. In fact, if Itachi ever even mentioned it, Sasuke knew he would pitch a fit. This was the home they had grown up in, lived as a family in... This was the home their parents died in... Sasuke's jaw clenched at that thought, and he willed himself not to dwell on it, not now at least. Now wasn't the right time for brooding or plotting.

There was a bang from the kitchen and Sasuke winced, knowing who was causing the noise. Ellen, the cleaning lady/cook/general caretaker of the house. Not that the boys relied on her for everything, but she did do a lot, especially in the food department. It's just that normally she was gone by the time Sasuke got home, especially now that he stayed for the after school program. Something the duck-haired boy had always considered a blessing.

Because he _hated_ Ellen. Because Ellen _loved_ Itachi.

It often ended up leading to their personalities clashing just a bit. Normally he avoided her like the plague, but tonight, she was in the kitchen and he was very, _very_ thirsty. And he was not about to be scared away from a room in his own home just because that bitch was in there.

Steeling himself for the worst, he made his way calmly into the yellow and white toned room, purposely not looking in the woman's direction and making a beeline straight for the cabinet containing the cups. Ellen, of course, was not one to be ignored.

"So you're home, are you, brat? I thought I heard your brother's car."

"Hn." Dark eyes never left his task of pouring cherry Coke from the red bottle into the glass. _Just fill it up and leave._

"In one of your pleasant moods again, I see." A terse sigh, followed by the rustle of fabric as she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. "Your poor brother, having to put up with a moody teenager at his age."

Sasuke immediately felt his hackles raise in response, even though he _knew_ she was only doing it to piss him off. Black eyes flew up to glare at the middle-aged, ice blond, heavy-set woman. What the hell did she know anyway? In her mind (and everyone else's), Itachi was a handsome, polite young man who owned his own business and took care of his orphaned baby brother. His worst faults were being a little cold and emotionally closed off from other people, something that they always overlooked after knowing about his parents' tragic deaths. A growl rose up in Sasuke's throat. They didn't know anything. They hadn't been there. They had no idea what happened that night!

Grabbing his Coke with a simple, "Fuck you, Ellen," the teen made his way to his room, slamming the door petulantly behind him, not caring in the least if the action was childish or not. No one but him knew what Itachi really was, not yet. But he would make sure everyone knew in the end. He would get revenge for his parents. Before all was said and done, he would take his brother down. He swore it on the Uchiha name.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"This is manipulation at its highest level. You should let me handle this."

"I'm a pretty bad kid."

"Really? What's the worst thing you've ever done?"

"I stole the head off a statue once."

"Wow, that's pretty hardcore. Geez, that's like this one time when I didn't like a kid, so I ground his parents up into chili and fed it to him."

Ah, South Park. Shikamaru's favorite escape from reality and all the ridiculous crap it entailed. Because when he was relaxing in his room, high about ninety percent of the time, and a bootlegged DVD of that amazing cartoon show was playing on his fifty dollar piece of crap TV... He sighed. Perfection.

He figured he enjoyed that particular show so much because while humorous, it also had underlying messages either subtly or not so subtly thrown in as well, enough to stimulate his over sized brain and keep him focused on the show and nothing but the show. Because with such a big brain he often found it difficult to just relax and focus on one thing. His mind wanted to multitask and focus on ten different things at once, and quite frankly, that took way too much effort, despite the fact that it was generally within his capability. He wanted to be able to concentrate on one thing and one thing alone, and dammit, he wanted it to be something fun, not a History Channel special about the government system in Ancient Rome... Not that he didn't enjoy that kind of thing occasionally...

His mother, on the other hand, despised South Park. She found the humor too crude and low-brow for her tastes, even though not every episode was even like that. She bitched every time he put it on the big TV downstairs, forcing him to retreat to the solitude and silence of his room. Of course, his mother bitched about nearly everything, especially lately. Especially when it came to him... Troublesome woman. He knew he was a lazy slacker, he didn't need her to tell him that... Shit, he didn't want to be thinking about this crap. Focus on the show! One of those meaningful moments was coming up.

"No! Wait! You can't listen to him. He's a lying, deceitful monster who only wants Family Guy off the air."

"But he has a gun."

"You can't do what he wants, just because he's the one threatening you with violence."

See. Now who would have thought something so insightful would be hidden inside a cartoon show? And that was one of the more blatant messages, there were a lot more well-hidden ones that Shikamaru loved to sit and pick out. He and Chouji would get together, smoke, and have South Park marathons for hours on end. It was great.

As the Cartoon Wars part II episode came to a close, the ponytailed teen, rolled onto his stomach, lazily flipping through his DVDs, pondering which episode he wanted to watch next. Did he want to go with one of the older episodes? Or maybe something newer... Ah, perfect. The Imaginationland trilogy, always a good choice. Really, who didn't love Butters being the hero and Popeye being raped by Christmas critters?

And that was how he whiled away his evening, smoking a joint by his open window somewhere during the second episode, watching the show he had memorized by heart for what was probably close to the hundredth time. Some people might find it boring or pathetic. It was what Shikamaru liked best.

Eventually, even the Imaginationland trio began to come to an end, just around the time Shikamaru planned on going to sleep. And he had to admit, he loved the end of the Imaginationland episodes. Because while this bit of humor might be crude, it was also, in his high as a kite opinion, damn hilarious.

"And what's Kyle about to do?"

"Cartman, don't."

"Oh, Kyle! What are you doing to my balls? Oh look, it's Kyle sucking my balls!"

A soft chuckle escaped him, despite how many times he had seen this same scene before. It really was very well done.

"Shikamaru!"

The boy in question blinked in surprise as his bedroom door was flung unceremoniously open and his loud, bossy, troublesome mother strode into the room, knocking apparently the last thing on her mind. He sighed, wishing he could just be left in peace and quiet. "Yeah?"

"Oh, look at you go, Kyle! Oh, you dirty girl, you love those balls!"

Instantly, brown eyes narrowed at the small, slightly fuzzy screen. Shikamaru braced for it, knowing it was coming...

"Did Santa Claus just tell a little boy to stop sucking someone's genitals...? Shikamaru Nara, how many times have I told you how disgusting this show is?"

Another sigh. Why was everything always so damn troublesome?

_**Dattebayo!**_

The next day, Wednesday, the children found themselves with a brief reprieve, the after school program being canceled due to teacher meetings or something like that. Unsurprisingly, there were no complaints.

Thursday, Gaara found himself sitting in his math class, staring blankly at the blackboard in front of him, waiting for his name to be called. Sarutobi-sensei was returning their tests that day, calling the children up to his desk by alphabetical order and very briefly going over the test with them, pointing out some of their key mistakes and things they might want to work on. As per always when the bearded teacher did this, there were a few students throughout the class who took the time to actually work on something, a few who took the time to catch up on some missed sleep, and the majority who spent the time chatting none too quietly with one another, a few of whom were to the point they would be considered obnoxiously loud. And then, of course, you had Gaara who always just... sat there. Staring.

A giggle, high, loud, and oh so _annoying_ sounded right by his ear for what had to be the tenth time in two minutes. He hated that giggle, and he hated the girl producing the noise poisoning his poor, defenseless ears. Maybe if she had been genuinely laughing at something and simply had an annoying laugh, but that obviously wasn't the case. Girls only giggled like that when really they were thinking 'Look at me, I'm just so hot and awesome,' and he couldn't fucking stand it. Did they really think sounding like that was in anyway even mildly attractive?

It happened again, and with a small growl low in his throat, Gaara turned, shooting a teal glare the girl's way. "You're annoying. Stop it."

The girl (he really should know her name, but who gave a shit?) blinked in surprise, scooting back a little from the scary little redhead and his even scarier look. "We're not bothering you, freak."

Gaara snorted harshly. "You're right, there's no 'we' involved," he agreed, pointedly ignoring the three boys the girl had currently been engaging. "It's just you. Despite what that ridiculous fucking laugh of yours seems to state, you're not that good-looking. Your hair looks like you let a five year old take three different shades of blond dye and go nuts, you have more makeup on then could possibly make anyone look good (and coming from me that's saying something), you could stand to lose some weight, and you insist on wearing clothing that shows off the fact you need to lose weight. Of course, you don't strike me as the brightest crayon in the box, so let me simplify my point for you; no one in the room wants to sleep with you, so shut the fuck up, you stupid, fat bitch."

Silence reigned, and it was true silence, since apparently the whole room had somehow caught Gaara's rant. He wasn't sure how, seeing as how his voice hadn't been any louder than it's usual soft guttural, but after a moment of stunned nothingness, sniggers broke out from all sides, including even from the boys the girl had been trying to entice. At least she had the decency to blush and look embarrassed.

Asuma up at his desk debated saying something, debated sending Gaara to the office, and decided instead to just play dumb and act like he hadn't heard a thing, turning his attention back towards the student he was talking with. Three students later and it was the redhead's turn to come up, which he did so with his familiar scowl in place. Clearing his throat a bit, Asuma pulled his test from the top of the small remaining pile and winced a bit before placing it in small, black-nailed hands. "Not exactly your best work, Gaara, but you still have a C overall for now."

The boy in question glowered down at the stapled packet in his hands, willing it to catch fire and destroy any evidence. A thirty-five percent. That wasn't just a failing grade, that was a special-ed dropout grade. Gaara was well-aware math wasn't exactly his forte, but still... Damn Kankurou and not keeping his damn promises. He had sworn up and down he would help his little brother learn this shit before the test.

Asuma cleared his throat once more before saying lightly, "If you were just having a bad day, I understand, it happens. However, if you really don't understand the material, I want to warn you that those equations are going to be continuously used throughout the year. It's something you really need to understand in order to be able to do algebra."

If Gaara was anyone else he probably would have sighed right about then. Of course the one thing he was completely lost on was deathly important. "I'll have someone show me how to do it."

Asuma studied the boy a moment longer before nodding his consent. "All right, just remember that if you have any questions you can ask me anytime after class or come find me during lunch." He lowered his voice a bit. "Or you could ask me after school, whatever you want," a statement which he immediately realized when said in a conspiratorial tone sounded incredibly creepy.

Gaara grunted a bit, going back to his seat and shoving the atrocious test into his bag without care. It wasn't that he didn't like Sarutobi-sensei, he seemed like a good guy, it was just that adults had a tendency to make him a little apprehensive. He just... hadn't known many good adults when he was younger. He would get someone to teach him the damn algebra, but asking his teacher for help was just a little out of his comfort zone.

* * *

If you've never watched South Park you won't fully understand Shikamaru's part (or the chapter title) but you should still get the gist of it.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry, Nostalgic Plastic Duck, poolday, TuffChick, ChocolateAngel-san, valenciadarkness, Genesisgoboom, melon42

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	10. Queen Sacrifice

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 10: Queen Sacrifice**

Shikamaru entered the familiar math classroom, sleepy brown eyes surveying the area briefly before determining he was definitely the first one there. Puffing out a small sigh, he let his bag drop unceremoniously to the floor, reaching out and grabbing the first desk, dragging it into place. They always sat the same way for the after school program. Shikamaru and Chouji pulled two desks side by side, while Asuma sat in a desk across from Shika. Then on Shika's left, Asuma's right, Ino sat in a desk facing the three of them; because God forbid she just pull the desk around and sit next to the teacher, making a normal square. No, she had to sit at the head of the group and just slightly separate from the others. Troublesome girl.

Nonetheless, the ponytailed brunette began maneuvering the desks into the usual position. He always did it when he was the first one there. Yeah, he was lazy, but he wasn't completely inconsiderate. Even Ino set the desks up if she was the first to arrive, and if that princess could do it, Shikamaru could do it ten times over. Besides, today only three desks would be needed since Chouji wouldn't be staying.

Finishing his most strenuous task of the day, Shika plopped down into his seat, head falling forward with a dull thud to rest on the scratched, graffitied, likely dirty wooden surface, eyes immediately drooping shut. So... sleepy... He wasn't looking forward to hearing Ino's obnoxious voice that day.

Apparently he'd been doing something right lately, because his prayers were almost immediately answered. Asuma came into the classroom, both brunettes pointedly ignoring the way the other smelled of cigarettes, and smiled at the half-asleep freshman. "Hey, Shika, thanks for setting up. You heard Chouji wouldn't be here on Thursdays anymore?"

Yaaawn. "Yeah. Thursday's all-you-can-eat wing night... or day rather, at his family's restaurant, and they're crazy busy from about lunchtime on. His parents need him to help pick up the slack. They got crushed last week."

Asuma nodded, recalling the phone conversation he had shared with Mrs. Akimichi on the subject. And couldn't help but smile in grim amusement at the phone call he'd had not even an hour later. "Yeah, well apparently Ino isn't going to be able to make it Thursdays anymore either."

Shika blinked slowly. "What?"

"Her father made up an excuse," Asuma said with a shrug, honestly not even remembering what the poor excuse had been, just knowing the man had obviously caved to his daughter's pleading. "Pretty much, I'm assuming she couldn't stand the thought of it being just the two of you without Chouji as a buffer."

A dry, throaty chuckle. "Heh... best news I've had all day."

Asuma just nodded absently, not exactly sure what to do next. "Since the program is designed to work in groups and you're alone..." The big man trailed off uncertainly. "I guess you could work on your homework if you wanted or--"

"Do you play chess?"

The question caught the older man off guard. "Chess?"

"Yeah." A travel-size game appeared from the depths of the teen's bookbag along with a slightly lazy smile. "Chess."

**_Dattebayo!_**

Gaara entered the classroom last, scowl in place, and walked directly up to one of his 'comrades' as Gai-sensei insisted on calling them, not sparing a glance in either of the other two's direction, standing in front of his desk with arms crossed. Big black eyes framed by even bigger, blacker eyebrows studied him curiously. "Hello, Gaara-kun. Is there something I can help you with this fine day?"

Gaara stared. It took a moment, but the redhead was surprised to find he was actually a little uncomfortable with what he was about to do, something nearly unheard of for him. Since when did he give a shit what anybody thought? "There's a movie tomorrow night. A group of us are going."

Silence. After a good thirty seconds or more, Lee's eyebrows shifted just slightly, showing his surprise and confusion at the whole situation. "Ah, that is wonderful to hear, Gaara-kun. I hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself on your outing."

More silence. Teal eyes slowly narrowed as Gaara realized this was more difficult than he had previously thought. Why did talking with people have to be so complicated? "No... I was asking if you wanted to come."

Lee's every muscle froze, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. Was... was this real? Was someone... actually asking _him_ to... _hang out_? He swallowed thickly, tremors of excitement and nerves absolutely throbbing through his veins. He was terrified to answer. What if this was all some kind of sick joke? Though Gaara didn't seem the type to derive pleasure from such actions...

Gaara watched the older boy, wondering what he had done now to have him make that kind of expression. Had he frightened him? He certainly hadn't meant to. Shit, if he got in trouble for this somehow, Temari would kill him. "You don't have to feel obligated," he said after the silence had lingered for what he deemed an unacceptable amount of time. "I was just offering." He turned to go to his seat, trying to figure out what the slightly hollow feeling in his stomach was. Was he getting sick?

"No!"

Gaara startled as the older boy all but threw himself from his seat and across his desk, panting like he'd just run a marathon. What the hell was wrong with him?

Lee _would not_ let this chance slip by. He had been _waiting_ for this, for someone, anyone, to just... _attempt_ something resembling friendship with him. He knew he was weird, but he was always friendly, always polite. So surely _someone_ would... and yet he'd been waiting nearly sixteen years for this to happen.

He had always been the anomaly, the kid that attracted instant attention when he walked into the room, but yet the one who was always forgotten about the second they parted ways. So unique yet so forgettable. On good terms with so many people, and yet... just never important enough in their minds to ever be invited to anything, to ever truly warrant a second thought; and always too self-conscious, too afraid of being in the way to try even once just inviting himself. Always left behind. Not anymore. He took a deep, calming breath. "I would love to attend a movie with you and whoever else is going, Gaara-kun. Where should I meet you and what time?"

Gaara wasn't sure what it meant when that weird feeling disappeared, but he was grateful all the same.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"You know, I used to play this a lot with my dad," Asuma said, as he set up the pieces on his side of the board.

"Oh?" Shika didn't glance up. "That's who I usually play with. My dad."

The bearded teacher hummed, finishing his preparation and motioning for his student to make the first move. "It's been a little while for me, but I used to be pretty good."

The boy offered a nod, opting to open with a simple move of his pawn. "I like playing, though playing on the computer gets boring. It's more fun when there's another person."

"Well, board games were originally meant for two or more players." Asuma countered with a move of his own pawn. "You ever play with Chouji?"

Shikamaru's knight hopped in a smooth L. "Nn, we have. He's not really a fan."

"I see." Another pawn inched forward. "Does Ino know how to play?"

A snort met his question. "I tried to teach her when we were younger. She was even less interested than Chouji." He moved. "She really can kickass at video games though. Don't let her fool you."

Asuma smiled, somehow not surprised. He could just picture the pretty blond with a headset on in front of an X-box 360, sniping people on Modern Warfare 2 and calling them noobs. "You really do know a lot about her."

A small grunt, brown eyes glancing up from the board with a disinterested expression. "Just say whatever it is you're hedging around, sensei."

Asuma couldn't stop his wince. That's what he got for trying to outsmart a genius. "I just want to know why you're always so hard on her. I mean, I understand why you say most of the things you do. I think most of it she really needs to hear." He set his piece down a bit harder than necessary. "But why do you insist on doing everything in your power to piss her off?"

"Well, I do have several passive-aggressive tendencies..."

The older man frowned, trying to remember back to his college psychology courses. "...What you're doing with Ino isn't passive-aggressive," though he agreed the boy showed several other symptoms.

"It is when what I really wanna do is hit her. Hard." A rook moved skillfully into play. "I piss her off because she pisses me off. End of story."

But it wasn't.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto carefully studied the two ravens in the room with him while the kids waited for their perpetually late sensei to finally show up. Like always, Sasuke was brooding and Sai was drawing. Sakura was doing homework, of course, but for once his mind wasn't on the girl with bubblegum pink hair. No, it was focused solely on the two other males, thinking about them and his plans for the next night.

Naruto had never been overly smart, but he _was not_ as dumb as most people tended to believe (though that was mostly his own fault). After actually giving it some thought, he had figured out rather easily who it was Gaara and Kiba wanted to invite to the movies with them, and he had to admit, he approved in full. In fact, it was almost enough to make him want to invite his own 'groupmates' to join them... almost.

Really, he did want to invite teme. As much as he fought with and could be annoyed by the haughty, sulking prettyboy, he still liked him; a lot. They had this... connection sort of, had had it ever since they were younger, way back in elementary school. Naruto wouldn't go so far as to call it friendship (Sasuke had never allowed it to progress to such) and yet... yet in some ways, it was even stronger than that. It was hard to put into words, but he felt it every time he was near the dark-eyed boy. It was still there.

This, of course, made him want to invite the Uchiha to hang out with him and his friends Friday night. Lord knew the prick could use some fun in his life... yet he refrained from ever letting the question leave his lips. Because he _knew_ what Sasuke's answer would be. He knew the futility in asking. And he knew it would probably hurt to hear whatever snide, biting comment was thrown his way more than he would ever admit. So he just didn't ask.

As far as Sai went... well, he didn't particularly like nor dislike Sai. It was kind of hard to form an opinion about somebody who showed about the same amount of emotions as a rock and rarely spoke except to unintentionally insult you. Really, if he invited Sai, it would be more out of pity than anything else. The kid obviously had no friends... though he didn't seem to want any either. Regardless, Naruto couldn't help but feel bad. He knew what it felt like to be alone... unwanted by everyone. Unloved. It was a feeling he would never wish on anyone, and shouldn't that be how Sai felt... you know, if he could feel? And it was for these reasons he contemplated inviting the odd one of the group.

But then Sai smiled at him in that _creepy_ way, and the whole idea was immediately thrown out the window. He really didn't need to invite anyone. Their group was plenty big enough as it was.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Okay, so she pisses you off, I get it. Mind elaborating a little bit for me? I have a feeling a lot of people piss you off, but I don't think you put so much effort into evening the score when it comes to them."

Slim, tan fingers hovered over a pale bishop before they dropped away with a weary sigh. "Look, you don't understand."

Asuma hated that phrase, especially when it was used as an excuse to write someone off. "I know I don't understand, Shikamaru. That's why I'm asking you to explain it to me. Does this all stem from when you guys were younger?"

The Nara's eyes sharpened just a little, the sleepy haze clearing to show a startlingly intense gaze hiding underneath. "Yes, it does actually. Since you don't seem to be willing to just let this go, I'll explain everything." The bishop moved sharply. "When we were kids, we were inseparable, the three of us. Our dads were close, so we became close. Simple enough, right?" He irritably shoved a loose strand of brown behind his ear. "Then, as we got older, shit started happening, Ino started changing. Chouji and I didn't. We grew apart, and not in the friendliest way. Up until recently, we wouldn't have even been on civil terms with each other, so you're lucky we've managed to mature a little."

Asuma slowly tilted his head, absently moving a piece to keep the game going. "So... this all stems from the 'bad breakup' so to speak you guys had? You're still upset by all of this?"

Shika's frown tightened. "No, not really..." He took Asuma's knight. "Look, you have to understand something. Back then, the three of us made up a trio or whatever you wanna call it, yeah. Chouji is now and has always been my best friend, again yeah. But Chouji and Ino... they had this _thing_. I honestly don't know what to call it. As close as me and Chouji always were, no one could take Ino's place in his mind. Since we've had properly functioning brains, he worshiped the ground she walked on, and you know Ino. She loved the attention he gave her, the way he'd do anything she asked him to; but at the same time, she never really took advantage of him, you understand? It was kind of like a faithful puppy and their loving master, though that paints a really weird picture in my head. He served her, she praised him for it, and I just sorta went along for the ride, everyone was just fucking peachy."

There was a pause as the boy seemed to need a moment to compose himself. His fists tightened around the hem of his shirt to the point the knuckles turned white, face darkening more by the second. The potent anger was probably the most emotion Asuma had ever seen the apathetic boy show.

"Then we started growing apart. Fine, whatever, it happens. I wasn't happy about it, but I understood." He clenched his teeth. "Then... like I already said, Chouji had it in his mind that Ino could walk on fucking water. He adored her. And when she was going through a tough time, feeling bad about herself, the way shit in her life was going, she used that to do everything in her power to crush him. She knew exactly what to say to hurt him, exactly how to do it to make it last..." He shut his eyes tightly for a moment and licked bone-dry lips. "She used his loyalty and exploited it, all because she thought in the end it would make her feel better about herself, and she went after him because she knew he would let her, that he would never contradict a single thing she said. And I don't care how gay it sounds, no one hurts Chouji like that while I'm around. He's one of the nicest fucking people you'll ever meet, and he doesn't deserve that from anyone, especially not a bitch like Ino." He ran slightly calloused digits over the top of his queen. "So while part of me still loves Ino because I can't forget how close we were for years, another part of me hates her for what she did to our friend. I _am not_ okay with it, and I want to make damn sure she remembers that... But mostly importantly, I'm going to make sure that she never gets the chance to do it again." He moved his queen. "Checkmate."

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Okay, guys, we're done for today." Kurenai offered her group a soft smile, exchanging goodbyes with Kiba and Hinata as they filed from the room, smiling a bit harder in Shino's silent direction when he nodded her way.

Adjusting the bag slung over his back, Shino made to move immediately towards the front of the building and the parking lot when his daily routine was interrupted by a very loud, "Hey, Shino, wait up a sec!" and Kiba was suddenly right there next to him, a little too close for comfort. Shino eyed the boy warily, though he knew the action was well hidden. "Yes?"

Kiba offered the taller boy a feral grin, lacing his fingers casually behind his messy brown head. "Just wanted to talk to you real quick. See, a bunch of us are hangin' out tomorrow, y'know, catchin' a movie, stuff like that. Just wanted to let ya know you're more than welcome to join us."

Shino stared. It took a few moments for the Inuzuka's words to process correctly in the quiet boy's mind, sure he had heard wrong or misunderstood. "You're inviting me to go out with you and your friends?"

Kiba heard the disbelief in the words and scratched the his hair uncomfortably, feeling more and more awkward by the second. Shino seemed to be good and making him feel this way. "Yeah. The guys are all from this thing too" --he absently waved his hand to indicate he meant the after school program-- "so... I d'no, just thought I'd throw it out there." Why was this so much more difficult than it should be?

There was another pause then. A long one. Much longer than Kiba was okay with, and the unease was beginning to show on his painted face. Shino opened his mouth and shut it about three times before finally stating, "I'm afraid I must decline. I'm already occupied tomorrow night," and turning on his heel to walk away.

Kiba couldn't pretend he didn't feel a bit put out, not by the rejection itself but more by the way it was so abruptly done. Swallowing back any rude remarks, he forced himself to call a simple, "No problem, man. Lemme know if you change your mind," proud of himself for how well he had handled the situation. Being polite and calm really wasn't his forte after all.

"Ano..."

The soft voice behind him made him jump with a startled squeak before brown eyes locked onto the blushing raven behind him, pressing and twisting her fingers together in her usual manner. He felt a little embarrassed now, knowing she had witnessed the whole scene.

Biting her lip, Hinata took a hesitant step closer to her brash classmate, offering him a gentle smile. "I just... I just wanted to let you know I thought that was really nice. The way you invited Shino to join you." She forced wandering, lilac eyes to meet sharp brown ones, if only for a moment. "It was really sweet."

Kiba felt his own blush start to rise and any regret he felt towards his decisions started to rapidly disappear. "Heh, thanks..." A little uncomfortable with the intimacy of the moment, he crassly added, "I woulda invited you too, but we sorta had a sausage fest thing goin' on, y'know?" He completed the comment with a wink, and though Hinata's blush worsened she also awarded him a small giggle before walking away.

The Inuzuka felt himself continue to relax. Things may not have gone exactly as he expected them to, but he supposed it wasn't so bad. His eyes trailed after Hinata's form and he grinned. Not bad at all...

He really couldn't help it when the traitorous organs landed on the girl's nicely shaped ass.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Geez..." An exhausted Akimichi Chouji sat down heavily with a sigh, wearily pulling a serving apron over his head and letting it fall on the floor next to him. He was used to working in his family's restaurant, cooking, waiting tables, doing dishes, whatever was needed of him, had done so since he was a little kid; but Thursdays were still fucking murder every time.

His parents owned their own restaurant, just a little place with about two dozen booths and tables, open from eight in the morning to nine at night. Even though the place was small, they were well known around the area for their meat, large portions, and moderate prices. Every night at dinner brought them a full store, but Thursdays, which for the past two years or so now were all-you-can-eat wing days... Chouji groaned. He was well aware his parents made a killing every Thursday, but it was just so much damn work, so hectic. Every night after it was all said and done, he just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a year.

April, one of the waitresses, popped into the back room briefly, counting her tips as she went, grabbing her purse from the hook it hung on and making to leave. The cute bottle blond, just turned twenty, smiled at Chouji when she spotted him, apparently changing her mind about beating it out of there, and sat down next to the younger boy instead. He did his best to smile back, though it came out very tired and rather Shikamaru-like. "Hey, April, what's up?"

Sure enough, the moment he had asked, the girl started talking. April, he had found the day he had first met her almost a year ago, really liked to talk. She especially really liked to talk to Chouji, seeing as how he was sweet, sympathetic, an amazing listener, and male (even if young), therefore always giving her good advice on her boyfriend troubles... which she always seemed to have in spades. Including tonight.

Chouji took her chattering in with a small smile plastered permanently on his round face. He truly liked April, even if she was a bit talkative and wore too much makeup... not to mention, from what he had heard, attracted complete assholes as partners. Chouji was young and inexperienced with dating and the like, but he was far from stupid. Whether April realized it or not, every single relationship she told him about was borderline abusive. It scared him a little... No, it scared him a lot.

After they had talked back and forth for about fifteen minutes, April gave the teen a hug around his broad shoulders and left, blowing him a playful kiss on the way out. Chouji pretended to catch it, wondering immediately afterwards if he looked retarded doing so, then allowed his whole posture to slump once he was again alone. April was such a great girl, why did she get herself into such bad, potentially dangerous situations?

He didn't even want to think about what scared him the most. The fact that April was exactly how he imagined Ino would likely be at her age, assuming his old friend managed to get over herself a little once high school was done and gone and become a little friendlier. Would Ino end up like April, dating jerks who took her for granted and treated her like shit? The large boy thought of Brian Schaeffer and shuddered.

Another person came into the room, though this time it was a plump little woman in her late forties, mousy brown hair pulled haphazardly into a bun on top of her head, apron still in place. A warm smile was immediately in place when her soft, chocolate eyes fell on the teenager, hand reaching out to smooth through his light brown hair. "Hey, sweetie, you okay? You're hungry, right?"

The boy was indeed very hungry. On Thursdays he was only awarded the opportunity to grab a quick snack after he got home before he had to begin preparing for the dinner rush. Then _during_ dinner rush he was busy waiting tables. Far too busy to eat dinner until after nine when the store had closed.

But he didn't want to eat. He really, really didn't. "I'll... have a grilled chicken sandwich," he said softly, not wanting to meet his mother's eyes. "Only lettuce and tomato. If it's not too much trouble."

His mother's eyes narrowed just a little, not at all liking what she had just heard. "You don't want wings? Really?" Their restaurant offered twelve different flavors and varieties, all of which were plentiful on Thursdays in particular. They were also Chouji's favorite food next to bar-b-que and potato chips of the same flavor.

The young teen nearly shuddered at his mother's question. Sure, wings were delicious, but didn't she realize how much grease and fat was in them? Grilled chicken was much healthier. "No thanks, Mom. Just the sandwich."

Iku Akimichi frowned in full once her back was turned to her only child. She may look like a simple, caring, motherly figure, which in general she was, but she had also lived to see quite a lot throughout her life and she was _far_ from naive, despite how she might seem. Her son had, as of late, started to watch his weight. Not obsessively, and he was a far cry from anything disastrous like an eating disorder, but that was hardly the point. While eating healthy was always a good idea, Chouji doing so because he thought he was fat, was not. Chouji wasn't fat, he was genetically big-boned, and at absolute worst could be considered chubby because he spent so many hours sitting with his lazy best friend in front of the TV. It was his broader than normal frame that gave the illusion of him being overweight. In reality, if the boy took off his shirt, you would see he had no excess rolls, no extra sagging skin, no protruding gut. In fact, if he would exercise just a bit more, he could be built like a tank, one of solid muscle and bulk, like his father during his younger years. He _was. Not. Fat._ And he knew this.

Yet even though he knew this, he allowed the words of others to fool his mind into worry, self-doubt, perhaps even a sort of self-hatred. He always had been a sensitive boy. The teasing he'd endured when he was younger, when his layer of baby fat had indeed made him genuinely chubby, always hurt him deeply; but at that time, the bullies around him were always ignored in favor of his two closest friends. Being around them gave the shy boy confidence he didn't otherwise have. And if worst came to worst, Ino could always scare the bullies off for him.

Except now, Ino _was_ the bully. Iku knew her son had been having a bit of a rough time at school lately, but he was pulling through okay. When he brought home the information about the after school program and discussed it with his parents, both Iku and Chouza had thought it a good idea. The teenage years were always rough, and it was particularly hard for someone as soft and gentle as their son to be thrown into the proverbial lion's den that was high school. Having someone, an adult who wasn't them, to just be able to talk with, being able to relax and socialize with some of his peers who were probably having some of the same troubles as himself, it all seemed like a great plan. They had never expected him to be put into a group of three with Shikamaru and Ino. And it was after that, after he had started seeing Ino every day, that his depression seemed to worsen, that he seemed to withdraw into himself more often, that he started talking less... that he started watching his weight.

When he came home during the first week of the program and asked for a salad for dinner, Iku had nearly had an internal fit because she knew the cause. She had been on the phone the next day with the school psychologist, Shizune something or other, not yelling and not blaming (because, much like her son, that wasn't how she worked), just calmly discussing if putting Chouji with Ino was really a good idea. After they had talked thoroughly about the subject, Iku had agreed for now to leave her son where he was, but she still had her doubts about the wisdom of that decision. Shizune had assured her the initial symptoms of the children being together would wear off soon, and as of yet, there was no change. If anything, Chouji was getting worse.

Iku sighed as she made her son's sandwich. It was hard to see what had transpired between Chouji and Inoichi's daughter. When they were younger they had been absolutely inseparable. She and Inoichi would joke about how soon they should plan the wedding. Then so much had changed... Iku felt herself shiver. She knew why Ino acted the way she did. In fact, if her son hadn't been Ino's primary target, she'd probably be able to forgive the girl her selfish actions. Because it was only human nature that when you were hurting you wanted to make others hurt too; and Ino was most definitely hurting. But it _was_ her son, her baby boy, and if Iku thought for even a moment that Ino had _really_ hurt Chouji, that she had ever caused serious damage... The little bitch wouldn't stand a chance.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Shino's mind was reeling. It had been ever since he'd left school that day, trying to figure out just what the hell had happened with Kiba. The boy had invited him to... hang out. On a Friday night.

Why?

That was the part he just couldn't understand. What on earth had possessed the loud, brash, cheerful brunette to invite him? Quiet, withdrawn, creepy him? It made _no sense_. And because it made no sense (and his brain had felt like it was slowly but suddenly imploding the moment he had been asked), he had chosen to decline the invitation. He said he already had plans.

That was a lie, of course. He had no more plans for Friday night than he did any other night of the week. He would do his schoolwork and then sign onto his WoW account, his secret obsession that he talked about with no one. How long he spent playing generally depended on his mood, but hours was often an understatement, particularly on weekends. He liked playing, interacting with people but never having to actually see them. Talking with people who treated him like he was completely normal, never gave him any strange looks or whispered behind his back. It was nice. So of course he had turned down a chance at actual face-to-face social interaction in order to spend more time doing so over the wonder of the internet.

Because Shino was well aware that no one would ever want to see his face.

* * *

You know, this story was originally supposed to be much more lighthearted than it's turning out. I changed the one genre from humor to drama because that's the way it's been going as of late. I apologize to anyone who started reading this expecting to laugh their asses off (though there will still most definitely be humorous parts), but I'm rather pleased with the way this is turning out so far so it's not going to change.

A note on Chouji's mother... totally made her up to how I wanted. As far as I'm aware, she's never even been mentioned (and I'm talking manga, not sure about the anime), so that, in my mind, gives me free reign. Hope you agree with my portrayal.

Oh... and my cousin pointed out that the scene between Gaara and Lee comes off as kind of slashable... I'm telling any yaoi fangirls right now, it was not meant to be so don't get your hopes up. Nothing but bromance there. One or two characters will be gay (because there are gay people in the world *le gasp!*) but neither Gaara nor Lee will be one of them. Actually, I've already been dropping hints about who one of them is...

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry, Nostalgic Plastic Duck, poolday, TuffChick, ChocolateAngel-san, valenciadarkness, Genesisgoboom, melon42, Kaitlin Murasaki, mindcaster15, Fire-In-A-Tiger-Lily, ShamaLamaDingDong, I always wanted to post a fic

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	11. Your Sex is on Fire

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Your Sex is on Fire**

Hinata was never much of one for laughing. It just wasn't her thing. If she ever expressed amusement so openly, it was normally with a small smile and soft giggle. That was it.

That was the main reason why anyone who knew her would be shocked to walk into her Child Development class on Friday during fourth period and hear her raucous laughter ringing out, louder than anything that had left her mouth in years. She really couldn't help it, though. Josh was just... he was so _funny_.

Trying to stifle her laughter when the teacher finally began looking her way, she covered her mouth and cleared her throat harshly. She really should get herself under better control.

Josh, smiling broadly at his success with the very shy girl, leaned in with a grin of his own. "Y'know, I'm having a party tonight at my place. Parents are out of town. You should stop by."

Hinata's face turned about twelve shades of red. Had he really just invited her to a party? Her? "Ano... that..." She almost said yes. Part of her really wanted to say yes, to go simply because it was him who asked her... but in the end she politely declined. She had already made plans with Sakura, just like every other Friday night. Besides, a party? A bunch of drunk upperclassmen dancing to ridiculously loud music, stuffed into an overcrowded room, practically groping each other in the open? That _really_ was not Hinata's scene. No matter how amazingly blue Josh's eyes were.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto all but ran to the waiting SUV, yelling an impatient, "C'mon, Iruka!" over his shoulder and hopping into the front passenger seat. The scarred man sighed, climbing behind the wheel of the vehicle at a much more moderate pace. Naruto was just so hyper...

"C'mon c'mon, we gotta pick up Gaara, dattebayo!"

Another sigh and the car was started. "Calm down, Naruto, we have plenty of time. You're not meeting your friends until six-thirty." Despite his words, Iruka couldn't stop the smile twitching insistently at his lips. Naruto's excitement was infectious as always. That and he really was glad the boys were going out together. Naruto and Gaara were constantly at his place on Friday night, but never before had they gone out with a group of friends. To be honest, up until Naruto met Gaara he really didn't have any friends at all. Luckily, once he reached high school he had started to gain the attention of others his age (in a positive way, for once), and Iruka was quite pleased he had managed to make friends with good kids like Shikamaru and Chouji.

Naruto hummed absently while he practically bounced in his seat, fumbling to retrieve his cell from his pocket once they neared Gaara's apartment. "Tanuki-chan! We're almost there, you better be ready, dattebayo!"

There was a pause as the blond listened.

"I already told you I don't care if it's a real word, I'll use it if I wanna," Naruto whined petulantly. "Just get your skinny ass outside!"

Iruka rolled his eyes, pulling into the parking lot. It was less than a minute later that a scowling Gaara, covered head to toe in black (well, maybe not quite toe, his shoes _were_ still blindingly pink, after all), slunk out the front door, taking his time as he made his way to the waiting vehicle, looking the complete and total opposite of his best friend. It was almost enough to make Iruka laugh. "Okay, guys, the theater, right?"

"Mmhmm." Naruto poked his spiky head around the side of the seat to peer at the smaller boy behind him. "Hey, Gaara, you told Lee to meet us there, right?"

"Yes, he'll be there."

And sure enough, he was, already waiting for the others to arrive. The boys caught a glimpse of them as they climbed out of the vehicle to Iruka's call of, "Make sure you're home by eleven, Naruto. If you need a ride call me. And don't get into any trouble!" leaning against the outside wall of the theater, fiddling absently with the sleeve of his very green jacket, teeth worrying his bottom lip. The image made Gaara frown a little and wonder if something was wrong. This wasn't how he usually pictured Lee.

"Hey, Lee!" Naruto called happily, skipping over to him with a cheery smile. "Glad you could make it!"

Lee looked up so fast at the sound of his own name, Gaara was amazed he didn't get whiplash. His black eyes blinked slowly several times, like he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing, before the smallest of smiles quirked his lips. "You did come," he muttered softly, and Naruto promptly made a confused face. "Huh?"

Lee blinked once more, then shook his head as if to clear it. "Ah, nothing, Naruto-kun. My mind was simply plagued by some rather unyouthful thoughts."

Gaara winced at the term Lee had clearly picked up from Gai. He got more than enough of the man as it was.

"Well, there won't be anything unyouthful about tonight!" Naruto declared heartily, and Gaara growled lowly at the blond for encouraging his 'comrade'.

"Jesus Christ, Ma, I heard you the first time!" a very familiar voice called, causing them all to turn and watch as their brunette friend climbed from his mother's car.

"Home by twelve, pup!"

"Yeah yeah, I know!"

Kiba muttered something lowly under his breath before spotting the group and heading over with a grin. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Kiba!" Naruto practically bellowed, like the boy wasn't three feet in front of him. "You ready?"

Kiba's smile turned downright feral at the question and Naruto's shifted to match as well. "Oh yeah, I'm ready."

Gaara caught the twin expressions and found himself taking a small step towards the much safer Lee. The older boy looked a little confused before asking, "Ready for what exactly?"

Kiba barked a short, harsh laugh. "Whatta ya mean 'for what'? It's Friday night."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Neji frowned at his reflection in the mirror, wondering once again if he looked all right. Which was ridiculous, who really gave a flying fuck how he looked, but... Damn it all to hell, he wasn't used to being nervous like this. He had no reason to be, he didn't care what anyone else thought.

He fidgeted awkwardly with his shirt. A white button-down shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch or someplace of the like, he couldn't remember, open overtop of a form-fitting black tee, loose denim jeans purposely ripped on one thigh, and pristine white Jordans. Hair pulled back into a low ponytail as always, white strip of cloth secured tightly around his forehead to hide... _that_. His silvery eyes scanned up and down once more. Yes, he looked fine.

Checking one last time to be sure every single hair was perfectly in place (when was it ever not?), he left his room, shutting the door softly behind him, absently checking to be sure he had his wallet and phone. He wasn't sure what exactly possessed him to go out tonight, especially to Josh Marsh's ridiculous party, but yet here he was, going. He supposed it was simply because he hadn't been out in so long and even _he_ needed to get out of the house once in a while. After all, he hated his home. It had _absolutely __**nothing**_ to do with the conversation he'd witnessed between Gaara and Lee the other day. Nothing at all. Why should he care what those losers did on their Friday night? Why should he care if they were out having fun while he sat at home. Alone. This had absolutely nothing to do with that.

He heard a soft giggle and frowned in annoyance at the sound. Hinata was in her room on the phone, likely talking to that pink-haired girl she was always with. He really could care less, but as he passed the slightly ajar door, he couldn't help but overhear, "Well, Josh did invite me to his party... but..."

Something inside Neji jolted at the words. Josh? As in Josh Marsh? As in, his freshman cousin had been invited to the same party he was currently heading to? It would be too much of a coincidence to think otherwise. And something about Hinata at that party... it made him very, very uncomfortable.

Without giving it further thought, he pushed the door open fully, striding in and paying little mind to the shocked look of horror on his cousin's pale face. Ivory eyes fixed hard on ones so alike but so different than them, set in a fearsome glare. "Don't go to the party."

For a moment there was silence as Hinata just stared, phone still pressed against her ear. Then she swallowed hard, licked her lips, and, "I w-w-w-wasn't g-going to go, n-n-niisan. S-s-sakura and I w-were--"

Neji didn't bother to listen to anymore. Not only did her incessant stuttering piss him off, but he didn't give a rat's ass what she and her friend were doing so long as she stayed away from Marsh's party. He wasn't exactly sure why it bothered him, but it most definitely did. He probably just didn't want her anywhere near him when it could be avoided.

Yeah... that had to be it.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"I want popcorn!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as the loud demand washed over him. Troublesome. "Yeah yeah, Naruto, we know. You've only said it about six times now..."

"Don't make fun of me, lazyass! I want some fucking popcorn!"

"Me too!" Kiba piped up, following the blond as he all but ran to the concession stand, Gaara and Lee trailing closely behind, Lee asking the little redhead congenially if he would like to share a bag with him, Gaara saying something about how he couldn't stand all the butter. Shika sighed. He just knew he was in for a long night.

With a small start, he realized Chouji was still standing next to him, hands in his pockets. That was quite a surprise, considering everyone else was doing something that involved food, and when it involved food, his larger friend was normally the first one there. The lazy brunette cocked an inquisitive brow his way. "Aren't you hungry?"

Chouji just shrugged a bit. "Not really."

Shika blinked. He didn't believe that for a second. First of all, Chouji was hungry most of the time. It was nearly impossible to make him full. Second, being in the vicinity of the concession stand with the delicious smell of movie theater popcorn washing over them, even Shikamaru was practically salivating, and he was a scrawny little weed compared to the Akimichi. Meaning something was bothering Chouji enough that he actually didn't want to _eat_. Food was normally his _comfort, _for crying out loud. "Troublesome... Look, I'm buyin' a large... and some sour patch kids. And I can't eat it all myself. So you'd better help me out."

Chouji shifted a little, looking uncomfortable, before he shot a rather helpless look his friend's way. "You... _need_ me to eat it?"

The way it was asked worried Shika a little, but outwardly, he smiled. "Yeah, I need you to." He was greatly relieved by his friend's nod of acceptance.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sasuke huffed just a little as he stepped into the large house. Josh Marsh's parents, it seemed, really raked in the dough. He supposed that was why they could afford their vacation to the Bahamas, leaving their oh-so responsible son in charge of the house. Now their nicely decorated living room was filled to breaking with badly dancing teenagers, some of whom were already drunk it seemed. He scowled. It was only just after seven for God's sake. Hadn't they ever heard of pacing themselves?

Sighing, he asked himself once again why the hell he was there; but Itachi had caught a small case of the flu and was currently resting back at their house rather than spend his Friday evening out doing whatever it was Itachi did on Friday evenings. And Sasuke _did not_ want to spend the night alone with Itachi, not on Friday. Friday and Saturday nights were his most precious reprieve from his brother's presence, and he refused to have that taken away. So he had gone out... and this was really the only place he could think of to go to.

Absently grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with cheap beer from the keg, he wondered around a bit, appreciating the nice house for what it was before it became completely trashed. Approaching the den, where the noise level was at least a bit lower, his dark eyes scanned the still quite crowded room and landed on the one person he was actually somewhat glad to see. "Hyuuga."

Neji looked up from where he was absently swirling the amber colored liquid in his cup when he felt someone stop right in front of him. Ignoring the fact that they were both wearing identical pairs of jeans, his eyes lifted further until they met a pair of familiar dark ones. He smirked a bit. "Uchiha."

The two ravens stared each other down for a moment, a silent agreement passing between them, and Sasuke then planted himself next to Neji on the couch in a scene very reminiscent of that day two weeks ago in the school office.

Not that Neji and Sasuke were friends. They could honestly just barely tolerate each other, both alpha-males of the worst kind, too stubborn and prideful to ever get along without clashing. But they liked each other more than they liked just about anyone else in the 'popular' crowd, because again, they were very alike in many ways. Mostly, they were both down to earth enough that they often wondered just _why_ they were considered popular. They were both antisocial bastards who rarely talked in more than a grunt unless it was to insult someone. There was no reason for anybody to like them, and yet they both practically had their own fanclub. It was... well, annoying really. And so at times like these, both boys understood that they would stick together simply for self-preservation. It was easier to keep all the idiots away when there was two of them.

So now they sat silently next to each other on the couch, identical jeans, identical scowls, watching as around them people became more and more intoxicated, started tripping over things like other people's legs and furniture, started groping each other more openly, started getting louder and louder and louder... And both boys wondered once more if coming out that night was truly worth it.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"God, this movie's _horrible_."

Naruto's whisper (which really wasn't much of a whisper) carried through the theater, making several people chuckle quietly. And he was right. The film, which was supposed to be some kind of amazing blockbuster spectacular, got nothing but stunning reviews, and was talked of constantly for being nominated for a variety of different awards... well, it sucked. Hard. All the boys agreed, even Lee, who attempted to put an optimistic spin on it; but the cold, hard truth was that, with the exception of spectacular special effects, the movie was a bust. And this led to six very bored teenage boys. Always a force to be reckoned with.

Kiba, after sitting through about ten more minutes of barely mediocre acting and bad plotlines, couldn't take it anymore, and he knew Naruto was just barely holding on. So nudging the blond next to him with his elbow to gain his attention, he leaned in slyly, whispering his idea into the other hyper boy's ear. Naruto's response was immediate and enthusiastic, making a watching Shikamaru wish he had never let those two sit next to each other. He knew whatever was coming next would be troublesome.

After the two giggled like a pair of little girls, Naruto whispered excitedly, "You go first," and Kiba nodded his assent. Sitting back straight in his chair he took a deep breath, gathering himself together. Then he made his hand into a fist by his lap and slowly began a rather familiar pumping motion through the air. Lazy brown eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers and Shika all but jerked in his seat. "What the hell are you--"

A moan, soft but loud enough to carry at least a few rows back fluttered through Kiba's lips, effectively cutting him off. It also drew the eyes of the other boys, all of whom had similar reactions to Shika. Damn, in the dark theater Kiba looked incredibly convincing, and they were sitting right next to him. They couldn't imagine what the people who looked over would think.

"Guys..." Chouji hissed softly, voice clearly unsure, but his plea went unheeded. Kiba's next moan was quite a bit louder and began attracting the attention of those around them. Several different things could be heard, laughing, mutters of "That's disgusting!", and a few cat calls, interestingly enough all from other guys. Kiba began picking the pace of both his hand and voice while Naruto shook with silent laughter, until finally he 'came' with a growl.

Naruto immediately took up the mantle, waiting no more than a matter of ten seconds or so before he began his own 'session'. Gaara rolled his eyes, deciding not to pay them anymore mind, Lee stared wide-eyed and shocked, Chouji still looked a little uncomfortable but at the same time a little amused, and Shikamaru was doing everything in his power to _not_ show how hilarious he truly found the juvenile actions.

Naruto's performance was similar to Kiba's if not a bit louder, and managed to draw even more attention. The boys doubted anyone in the packed theater was actually watching the movie anymore. After Naruto finished with a cry of, "Oh... God ye-es!" he grinned like a maniac and turned towards the others. "Who's next?" he whispered.

As amusing as Shika found the whole thing, he was just too damn lazy to put on a show himself. Gaara was... well, Gaara, and Chouji tried to avoid drawing attention to himself all the time, there was no way he would pretend to masturbate in front of a crowd of people.

"I will try."

The voice, hesitant but determined, surprised them all.

"Lee, you _don't_ have to," Gaara assured without taking his eyes off the screen, but Lee shook his head.

"No, Gaara-kun, I... I would like to give it a try."

Naruto snickered a gave him a thumbs up. "Go for it, bushy-brow."

A bit startled by the sudden, new nickname, but hardly minding, Lee leaned back in his seat and took a calming breath. He could do this. It was just pretend, not something actually vulgar... or illegal... probably. And it wasn't like he'd never jacked off before. Just act like he did when he masturbated at home, only louder because... because there were people listening and watching. He attempted for a brief moment not to panic. He could do this. It was all just acting. He _would_ fit in tonight.

Fisting his 'erection' he pumped, very slowly, his eyes shut as he pretended he really were committing the act so as to make his movements easier. He let out a soft but not too soft groan, the kind you did when you'd just relieved a ton of tension. This was followed by a sharp intake of breath and then a few small pants before another groan, louder and longer. His hand sped up, twisting just the way he liked in real life and his voice started to steadily rise, small cries escaping, breath speeding up. His hand flew up and down, head tossed back, noises escalating, and then he 'came' with a silent intensity that far outdid both Naruto and Kiba's climaxes.

When his black eyes reopened, he blinked in surprise of all the boys, even Naruto and Kiba, staring at him like he'd grown a second head. "What?"

A light suddenly shone in his face, the man holding it wearing a bemused expression. "All right. I think you boys have had more than enough _fun_ for one night."

As the six kids were escorted from the theater, a number of their fellow movie-goers (mostly other teenage boys) gave them an applause for their performance. Lee paused, stunned and unsure of what to do, but he suddenly found himself sandwiched between Naruto and Kiba in the dark aisle and being forced into a bow, in turn causing the applause to increase. He blushed a little, even if no one could see it.

"Thank you, thank you!" Naruto called loudly, holding his arms in the air like he'd just won an award. "We do parties! Just call 555-spa-- hey!" he was cut off as Gaara grabbed the back of his hideously orange jacket and dragged him out the rest of the way, a chuckling Kiba and smiling Lee behind.

The boys were, of course, asked to leave the theater, but that was hardly a surprise. They weren't in any real trouble, and the manager hadn't called the cops for disturbing the peace or public indecency or whatever the hell exactly pretending to orgasm in a movie theater would fall under, even though he could have. Boy, would that have been an interesting thing to explain to their parents. Shikamaru almost wanted to see his mother's face. "Hey, Mom, I need you to come bail me out because my dumbass friends pretended to wack off in the theater." Priceless.

"That was awesome, dattebayo!" Naruto giggled maniacally. "Did you see, we actually got clapped for!"

"They were clapping for Lee," Gaara growled with a roll of his eyes. "He was better than both of you put together."

"It was impressive," Shika drawled.

Kiba chuckled. "Hear that, Lee? You should go into making porn."

Lee had by then turned scarlet and muttered something about 'inappropriate'.

"So what are we going to do now?" Chouji asked softly. After all, it was only about eight o'clock. The night was still young.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Ino blinked slowly, trying to gather her bearings and properly recognize her surroundings. She knew where was, of course, at Josh's party with Brian and a bunch of his friends, but... well, it was hard to focus on anything right then. And for some reason, her brain was just refusing to cooperate, not to mention she felt a little dizzy... and nauseous. Was she drunk?

No, that wasn't possible, she had only had one beer. True she had never really drank more than a few sips before, but _one beer_ wasn't enough to get anybody drunk... right?

But even her fogged mind couldn't deny it. Ino wasn't stupid, far from it. She knew she was drunk somehow. And so, it appeared, did Brian.

At least, that's what she assumed, since his hand was rather openly sitting on her ass. Yes, he had groped her a bit before, but only when they were making out, and only when no one else was around. Ino just wasn't very comfortable getting felt up in public, and she had told him that. Explicitly. So the fact that he was now disobeying one of the few rules she put up, not to mention randomly attacking her neck like some kind of vampire wannabe even thought he seemed almost completely sober, let her know that he thought she was too far gone to care. Well, she wasn't. And like she had said before, she wasn't stupid. This situation was dangerous.

"Brian, knock it off," she mumbled, attempting weakly to shove him away.

No such luck. He just muttered something back that sounded along the lines of, "It's fine," and renewed his efforts. It was not fine.

"Brian, I said _no._"

Again, she was blatantly ignored. In fact, one of his hands had actually moved up to her breasts, making her flush a bright red, mostly because his stupid football player friends were all staring openly, like it was some kind of fucking show. Shit, she had to get out of there. Fast. She had absolutely no intention of losing her virginity to a stubborn, pig-headed jerk like Brian Schaeffer.

Excusing herself, slurring out something about the bathroom, Ino managed to get away. While she did indeed need to pee, that's not where she was heading. She needed to find somewhere, or someone really, safe, and then bum a ride home from them. She knew she could always call her dad, that unless he was in the middle of surgery he would drop everything and come for her. She also knew he wouldn't react _too_ badly to seeing her drunk, would understand and everything... but it would disappoint him. For some reason, probably because she was drunk, the thought actually made tears come to her eyes. She didn't want to disappoint him, not her daddy. The very thought killed her.

Shaking as she wandered aimlessly from room to room and trying not to cry like a drunken fool, Ino found herself in the somewhat quieter, calmer den. When her blue eyes landed on the couch, a huge sense of relief swept over her. Probably the only other freshman and one of the few sophomores attending the party sat there, looking just as sour as usual, not to mention sober. Sasuke and Neji. Her safety nets.

Stumbling her way over, nearly tripping headlong over a coffee table in plain sight, she approached the two dark-haired boys who eyed her warily. She licked her lips, attempting rather desperately to focus her gaze properly. "Hey, guys."

For a moment they stared before Sasuke grunted out a grudging, "Ino."

"Hey... look..." Ino paused, wanting to blurt out that she needed one or both of them to help protect her from her horny boyfriend and take her home before whatever innocence she had left was stolen, but something inside her screamed in time to make her stop. That... would be what was known as a drunken mistake. She didn't want them to know. They didn't need to know the details. They just needed to give her a ride home.

"Look..." she started again, but once more had to stop. The whole room had suddenly started spinning. Violently. She couldn't... think... what was...?

Neither Sasuke nor Neji had the chance to move before the pretty blond vomited whatever little bit of food was in her up into their laps.

* * *

Oh yes, the chapter title is indeed from the Kings of Leon song.

Just for the record, I have nothing against Sasuke or Neji (hell, if Neji suddenly popped out of my computer screen and asked me to marry him, I would probably fall over dead from joy)... or Ino for that matter, so that last part was not meant to be bashing. Just... life. Besides, we all know the three of them are complete asshats at this point and time in the story and totally deserved it.

Stay tuned for the second half of the children's exciting Friday night.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry, Nostalgic Plastic Duck, poolday, TuffChick, ChocolateAngel-san, valenciadarkness, Genesisgoboom, melon42, Kaitlin Murasaki, mindcaster15, Fire-In-A-Tiger-Lily, ShamaLamaDingDong, I always wanted to post a fic, The Morbid Stilettos

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	12. Burn Down Hot Topic

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Burn Down Hot Topic**

"Okay, let's go in here!"

Gaara glanced once at the sign of the store and felt his eyebrow begin to twitch. "No."

"What? Why not? Don't you shop here all the time?"

A growl started low in the redheads throat and increased in volume as it rumbled up. "No, I most certainly do not."

"Huh? Why?" The blond looked closely at his slighter friend's clothing, as if examining his style for the first time, then towards the store, then back once more. "It looks like clothes you would wear."

Gaara grunted and slowly inclined his head in agreement. "_Some_ of it's not so bad."

Naruto's eyebrows twisted in confusion. "Then I don't understand! If you like some of the clothes, why wouldn't you shop here?"

Gaara scowled further. "Because it's Hot Topic, Naruto, that's why?"

"So?"

"It's- I- godammit, Naruto, haven't you ever seen South Park?"

Shika, whose mind had indeed been on the show during the entire conversation, lit up at the redhead's words. "Got a lighter?"

After a moment of surprise, Gaara offered his best version of a smile.

Naruto, however, who had obviously missed that episode, crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest and declared, "Either we go in here or we go to... I dunno, Abercrombie and Fitch or something."

Teal eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would."

They held a silent staring contest then while the others watched on. Gaara internally debated which store would do more to ruin his self-respect and pride before finally giving in with a sigh. "Fine. Hot Topic."

"All right, dattebayo!" Naruto dashed into the store, the others following leisurely behind, Gaara last and most reluctant. After they had been kicked out of the theater, the boys had walked for about ten minutes down a rather busy road to end up at the mall instead. For lack of something better to do, Naruto had gotten it into his head that he wanted to buy Gaara a shirt that wasn't black, and his cause had then been picked up by the others, which was why Gaara now found himself entering the local Hot Topic, trying to remind himself that he should take this all in stride and _not_ get pissed off about the whole thing; it was just Naruto being Naruto.

"Hey, Tanuki-chan! How about this one?"

Gaara's eyes wandered over to the bright fuchsia t-shirt that proudly stated in black, bold letters across the chest 'Real Men Don't Wear Pink'. He stared at it a moment longer... and grinned. That was just brilliant. It would piss his macho brother off to no end, since Kankuro was just about convinced he was a fag anyway... Like the face paint wearing freak had any room to talk about anyone. "I like it."

"I knew you would," Naruto said proudly, already leafing through the rack for the redhead's size. "I'm gonna get one too, okay? That way we can match!"

"And look like a flaming gay couple?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Sounds good."

Naruto, pleased with the outcome of this adventure, turned towards the others brightly. "Hey, any of you wanna be gay with us?"

To no one's surprise, Chouji shyly shook his head, Kiba gave them a _look_, letting them know his masculine pride was just a bit too strong to allow such things, while Shikamaru considered before declining. "Not my style," he said simply; not that he really _had_ much a style. Slacker was the closest thing that could be said for the Nara's clothes and his wide array of worn jeans, t-shirts with sarcastic sayings, and run-down hoodies.

"How 'bout you, bushy-brow?" Naruto asked cheerfully, but Lee remorsefully shook his head. "I am sorry, Naruto-kun. I would very much enjoy portraying the image of being in a homosexual threesome with you and Gaara-kun," -the other boys all grinned at the image- "but unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy much of anything at the moment."

Naruto nodded to show he understood. All too well really. He hadn't always lived with Iruka where he got a steady allowance.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Disgusting couldn't even describe what being puked on was like, and it probably didn't help that vomit was, in Sasuke's opinion, one of the most vile substances on the face of the planet. He stared in horror at the foul, mostly liquid mess that now covered his front, and felt bile rise up in the back of his own throat. Dear God, he was only a second away from puking because of puke.

Next to him, he could see Hyuuga convulsively swallowing, meaning he was having the same trouble as Sasuke, which actually made the Uchiha feel just the slightest bit better. Turning furious black eyes on the blond girl in front of them, he was about to completely snap and just start yelling (something he very rarely did), when the stupid girl just had to burst into loud, strangled sobs. Well shit...

Again, it seemed Neji and he shared the same line of thinking when the fury in the older boy's ivory eyes slowly dissipated. Just how the hell were they supposed to yell at a girl when she was crying like that? And shit, everyone was _staring_ right at them, seemingly frozen in shock. God, he should kill the bitch for this.

"Ino... Ino, stop crying."

Yeah, a lot of good that did. If anything, her sobs just got louder as she sputtered out something that he suspected was meant to be an apology. Fuck.

Steeling his stomach from another dry heave, he slowly stood, trying his best not to watch the way the junk slid down his pants legs. "Ino, knock it off," he hissed, hoping no one else could hear him over the music. "It's- it's fine, just stop." He clenched his teeth. It wasn't fine, but what else could he say? "Come on, we'll get cleaned up."

Though still crying pitifully, the girl nodded, allowing him to take her by the arm, and he shot a glance down at the Hyuuga. Neji, looking like he'd really prefer to sink into the couch cushions and never come back out, climbed to his feet as well and offered a brief nod, signaling he would accompany them. Might as well, he couldn't exactly just sit there in the girl's filth.

Sasuke considered going to search out one of the several bathrooms a house of this size must have. That seemed like the logical course of action. However, the moment he took note of all the eyes (and there were many) watching every move the trio made, he immediately changed his mind. He didn't know what exactly he was going to do, and he was still covered in puke, but he _did not_ want to stay in that house any longer; and (while it made no real difference since he would do whatever the hell he wanted anyway) knowing Neji, he felt the same way. So instead of continuing on, he tightened his grip on Ino's thin... _very_ thin wrist and pulled her out the front door, Hyuuga trailing obediently behind, not questioning the sudden change in direction.

Once safely out on the front porch, door shut tightly behind them to dull out the pounding bass, the three teens exchanged rather wary glances, unsure of what exactly to do. After a moment, Sasuke sighed, looked down at himself in disgust, and muttered, "Think there's a hose somewhere around here?"

"Pool." Ino shook her head, trying to clear the haze away, slightly glazed blue eyes turning to the boys intently. "There's a pool in the backyard. It didn't look like it was covered for winter yet."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sakura blinked in surprise at the sight that greeted her leaving the Hot Topic. Naruto (chattering loudly, of course), Gaara, and Lee... Wait, no strike that, Naruto, Gaara, Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba. Holy shit. With Hinata and herself there, that meant over half the kids in the therapy program had chosen to go to the mall at the same time. It was an oddly disturbing thought.

She heard a small gasp followed by a breathless, "Naruto-kun," from next to her and turned to see her best friend's very flushed face. Unconsciously, she narrowed her eyes at the sight.

"Sakura-chaaan!"

Wincing a bit at the exuberant call of her name, Sakura glanced up warily to see the hyper blond streaking towards her, wide goofy grin fully in place. "Hi, Sakura-chan! What're you doing here? We bought Gaara a shirt that wasn't black, dattebayo!... Oh, hi, Hinata-chan," was added only as somewhat of an afterthought, not that the girl in question seemed to notice. She blushed even redder and managed to get out a squeak.

"Naruto, you're so loud!" the pink-haired girl scolded sharply. "The whole mall probably heard you!"

His smile only widened further. "That's okay. Just more people to share my charming personality with."

"There's nothing _charming_ about you!"

"Hey, Hinata!"

"Oh. H-hello, Kiba-kun. How are you?"

The brunette shrugged. "Not bad. We got kicked out of the movies earlier for pretending to jack off."

Hinata managed to keep an expression of polite interest. "Oh?"

"I'd actually like to hear that," Sakura interjected, drowning out whatever crap Naruto was spouting.

Kiba grinned, knowing he'd captured a more than willing audience.

Sigh. "Troublesome."

Gaara shot a teal glare the lazy, taller boy's way, looking him up and down carefully.

"You say that about everything."

Shikamaru shrugged and offered a small smirk. "Well, it's always true."

Gaara grunted a bit. Fair enough. "Hey... you're in Sarutobi's group, right? Is he...?" The boy trailed off uncertainly, not sure how to ask what he wanted to know. Hell, he wasn't even sure what exactly it was he wanted to know, it was just... He mentally growled at himself. No. Not everyone over the age of twenty-five was out to get him. He was not afraid of adults anymore... Not even big ones with beards.

Shika, though not sure what had brought about the sudden question, had a fair idea of what Gaara had wanted to ask. "Asuma's a good guy. I like him." He couldn't stop his frown when Gaara's tense shoulders seemed to relax. "Did something happen with him?"

The red-head looked away and shrugged. "No. I just need help in his class. I hate math."

Ah. Shika nodded. That made sense. "So you need a tutor."

God, did that make him sound stupid. Gaara _was not_ stupid. He had absolutely no problem in any of his other classes. It's just that when it came to numbers... they just didn't make a whole lot of sense to him, not the way words did. And... he found he didn't want to go beg his brother for help. Again. "... Yeah."

"Uh-huh." Shika's brown eyes fluttered closed for a moment and he appeared to be thinking something over. When they reopened the lazy genius smiled. "Okay. I'll do it."

Gaara blinked. "What?"

"I'll tutor you. I'm in pre-calc and trig anyway, so anything you're learning I already know."

Gaara did his best not to frown. "I didn't ask you."

"No, but I'm offering." Of course, he had absolutely no idea _why_ he was offering. For someone as lazy as Shikamaru, offering to do much of anything was a rarity, but... "We can do it after the program. I'll come over to your place and help you with your homework."

Teal eyes narrowed a little in uncertainty. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, of course. We can start Monday."

_**Dattebayo!**_

_This was a _stupid_ idea. _Sasuke clawed violently through the liquid ice surrounding him, trying desperately to reach the concrete side. At first, jumping into the pool to wash off the vomit had seemed like a good plan. Like a giant bathtub of sorts. And though he'd be soaked through afterwards, he was going straight home anyway, so who cared?

Then he had actually hit the water in question. And he wondered just where all of his supposed intelligence had gone running off to, because it certainly hadn't been working if he ever thought this was a decent plan.

Grasping desperately at the side of the pool, he hauled himself up, panting harshly in the process. The fucking water had been so damn cold it made it nearly impossible to _breathe._ And climbing out of it, soaked through, with the winter wind blowing full force... Shit, he was going to die of hypothermia right there.

Neji cocked a brow at the gasping, shuddering mess. Thank God he hadn't blindly followed the Uchiha into the water, but instead had waited to see how it all played out. "A bit chilly?"

Sasuke had several biting comebacks in mind, but his teeth were chattering so badly he couldn't get them out. Fucking Hyuuga prick.

Sighing, Neji frowned down at his disgusting clothes, really not wanting to ride all the way home covered in vomit. He had already called his driver, saying he needed picked up, and the man would be here any minute. Maybe he'd just have to give it a shot and hope for the best.

"Sasuke," the previously quiet blond all but whispered, taking a hesitant step closer to the violently shivering boy. "Are you okay?"

Okay? Sasuke's eyes tightened into a fierce glare. Had she really just asked if he was okay? "No, I'm not okay, you stupid whore! This is all your fault! You just had to drink so much you got yourself wasted and then came over, probably to flirt with us like you always do, even though we've both made it clear we're not interested, and you fuckin' _puked_ on us! Then you suggested jumping into a pool in the middle of fucking November, and like a complete dumbass I actually listened to you, which is why I'm pretty sure my balls might have just frozen off! So no, Ino, I am not fucking okay!"

Flinching back instinctively from the tone and harsh words, Ino bit her lip and let blue eyes fall to the ground. "I only had one..."

"Right. And I'm a fucking fairy princess."

The girl took a step back again, but insisted stubbornly under her breath, "I did. I only had one drink, that was it."

Neji stayed silent through this, still wondering just what he should do. He had a feeling his driver reported rather frequently to his uncle, not a surprise considering how obsessed the man was with appearances, and chances were Hiashi wouldn't be pleased to hear about his nephew's state on his return home from what was obviously a party. He would probably think Neji himself got wasted to the point of throwing up all over his front, despite the fact that Neji never drank, and the last thing he needed was an interrogation with the cold man who wore his father's face. He sighed. What to do?

"Maybe we should have just taken our clothes off instead," Ino mused aloud as Sasuke continued to practically writhe on the ground.

Immediately, Neji brightened. That sounded like a plan indeed. Take the clothes off, soak them in the pool and get most of the vomit off, and then go home in just his boxers with wet clothes in his hands. If his uncle asked about it, he could simply say someone started spraying a hose around and had soaked him. The action was rather juvenile, but even Hiashi never expected a teenager to be perfect and proper all the time. It was a wonderful excuse.

So he stripped, dipping the clothes into the water and shivering the moment it touched his pale hands. Uchiha had actually jumped into this? God, how was he not dead yet? Speaking of which, "You know, Uchiha, it's probably colder for you to keep your wet clothes on then it would be to just take them off." Unsurprisingly, the moment those words were spoken, the younger boy began to violently shed his clothing.

As Neji continued to meticulously wash his pants, he was startled into staring when Ino knelt down next to him and began doing the same with her own clothes. Not because she was following her own advice, simply because... well, Ino didn't look nearly as good with her clothes off as one would imagine. Her breasts really weren't as big as her shirts always made them appear. Where girls were supposed to have supple, plump curves, Ino had straight, flat lines. Her arms were so thin they looked nearly skeletal, and her ass, rather than being delicately rounded, was nearly nonexistent. Her waist was so thin, Neji imagined he could just about fit his hands around it. Hell, the blond couldn't possibly weigh more than ninety pounds, at most, and she was a pretty tall girl. Even Sasuke, who had wrestled out of his own clothing and now sat shivering in a pair of blue boxers, stared shocked at the sight. Maybe she had been telling the truth about having only one drink after all.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Hey, we should all go out to eat before we go home!" Naruto insisted excitedly, waving his arms just to emphasize his point. "We can go down the road to Denny's!"

There were muttered agreements from all the other boys, but Sakura frowned at the offer. Did she really want to willingly spend her Friday night with Naruto and the rest of those boys? More importantly, did she really want to give up her precious alone time with Hinata?

The opal-eyed girl, however, turned a pleading look her friend's way, knowing the final decision would be up to the pinkette; and Sakura could never say no to that look. She sighed heavily. "I guess so. Why not?"

Naruto crowed in happiness, grabbing her, to her undying annoyance, by the hand and dragging her insistently towards the mall exit, Kiba going through a rather similar, yet slightly less enthusiastic, procedure with Hinata, the others all trailing behind. Another death defying walk down a few busy roads with no sidewalks, and the kids found themselves seated around a large table at the local Denny's, a rather harassed looking waitress taking their drink orders and scowling angrily Kiba and Naruto's way when they weren't instantly ready.

Naruto sniffed when the woman walked away. "Cranky old bitch."

"She's not old," Gaara grunted.

"She's like thirty."

"Exactly, she's not old."

"Old enough."

WHAM! "Naruto! Thirty is not old!"

"Ah-ha, sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sakura rolled her eyes and let her head rest against a propped up fist. How exactly had _she_ ended up sitting next to the blond idiot? Despite his clear attempts to make it that way, she hadn't wanted to... Then she had noticed that Hinata _did_ want to and was trying to hedge her way in. And that... that bothered her. A lot. So she had taken the seat next to Naruto, much to his joy, and Hinata sat on her other side. She ignored the way her stomach clenched when the dark-haired girl looked so disappointed. Besides, Kiba had taken up residence on her other side, and he was busy keeping her thoroughly engaged in conversation... Actually, that wasn't so great either. Just what the hell did the brunette think he was doing, clearly trying to flirt with Hinata? At least she didn't appear overly interested in his advances.

Gaara, meanwhile sat across the table from Hinata, watching the interactions and reactions between the four other teens before smirking rather evilly. This was better than TV.

After the irritable waitress had come back and taken their orders (Shikamaru frowned. Was Chouji really getting a salad?), Lee excused himself to use the bathroom, ignoring Kiba's jab at how formal he was. After taking care of his business, he washed his hands and left, walking through the front lobby to return to his table just as a group of mostly older girls he vaguely recognized from school came in. He paid them little mind until a particular bun-haired girl caught his attention, and he was powerless to stop the wide grin that spread across his face. "Hello, Tenten," he said politely, happily as she walked by him with her friends. The girl in question froze.

One of her friends, a decently popular senior though Lee couldn't remember her name, gave the boy a once over and actually chuckled lightly at what she saw. "Do you, uh, _know_ him, Ten?"

Lee felt his smile falter just a little but kept it firmly in check. He knew when he was being made fun of. It happened often enough. In fact, it rarely even bothered him anymore, the trick was to just keep smiling.

Tenten, for her part, was nearly having a panic attack. She couldn't... this was... she should... Purposely looking away, she raised an eyebrow and said snorted. "Of course not. He's just in my class, that's all."

Lee's smile disappeared in an instant.

Giggling a bit and already changing the subject, the group of girls walked off, Tenten glancing back towards the silent boy even though every instinct told her not to... and immediately wished she had listened to herself. Lee looked... sad; but that word alone didn't do it justice. Rejected, hurt, _crushed_. And this was all made worse by the fact that it was _Lee_. The boy managed to keep a smile on his face when he told them in group he had no friends. She had seen him grin at a group of football players stuffing him into a locker, smile sweetly at the cheerleader who for no reason called him a freak, laugh along with the most sadistic of bullies... And despite all that, it was her simple rejection that had finally forced that look onto his face. Like a kicked puppy.

Forcefully turning away, she shook it off. It wasn't her fault, after all, she'd told the truth. She and Lee weren't friends, they were just classmates. They had no real connection besides being stuck in the same fucked up after school group. She had no reason to acknowledge him as something more. She hadn't done anything wrong.

The reason her stomach suddenly hurt so much had nothing to do with him at all.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Neji heard the familiar buzz of his phone and looked down, trying to ignore how damn cold it was outside in nothing but a pair of underwear. His button-up shirt had actually managed to survive the encounter with Ino's vomit, but he had taken it off and given it to the blond to wear instead. It wasn't the fact that she was shivering and shaking like she was about to turn into an ice sculpture that made him do it... it was just... well, the girl looked fairly reminiscent of Holocaust survivors, she really did. He was half tempted to ask if she'd spent the last several months in a concentration camp, and he honestly just wanted her to cover some of that up. It made him uncomfortable.

Noting the message now flashing across the screen, he saw that his driver had finally arrived. Well, it was about time. Glancing down, he examined the other male in the area, sitting on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around his legs and rocking back and forth, shaking like a leaf. Neji was amazed his lips hadn't turned blue yet. "Uchiha, if you want a ride home, I suggest you come now. I'm not waiting around for you."

Sasuke looked up, surprised by the offer. Hyuuga was being half-decent? Scrambling to his feet, he was immensely grateful for the older boy's sudden act of kindness. He really hadn't even thought about how he was going to get home while he sat there, he'd just been so focused on trying to get warm while being too damn stubborn to even consider going back inside. Hyuuga's offer was like a Godsend.

Ino watched as Sasuke climbed numbly to his feet, and the two boys, clad only in boxers started walking towards the front of the house. Shit, wait! They couldn't leave her there!

"Hey!" she called desperately, flushing a bit when they both turned and sent her nearly identical glares of ebony and ivory. Swallowing to regain her courage, she took a hesitant step forward, eyes pleading. "Can I... can I please have a ride too?"

Neji stared so hard the girl began to squirm. She really wanted him to do something nice for her after what she had done? Really?

Sasuke scoffed aloud and verbally answered, even though it wasn't his car nor his decision. "You're the reason this happened in the first place."

Ino flinched. She knew how angry they both were. "Please," she said softly, glad that she had felt better after throwing up and was now at least able to think clearly. "I... I really need a ride. I was coming over to ask you for one when..." She bit her lip and looked down in a very shy, submissive gesture foreign to the blond. Neji was reminded, with a jolt, of Hinata.

The Uchiha snorted and tightened his glare. "Like we care. Go inside and ask your boyfriend for a ride if you need one so bad."

The look of horror that fleetingly crossed her face was unmistakable. "I... I can't ask Brian. Just... please. I'll make it up to you somehow. Please."

Neji bit back a sigh. If what Ino said was true, she had likely searched for a way to leave the party after a pathetic, melodramatic lover's spat with Schaeffer, which was when she had found him with Sasuke and proceeded to vomit all over his expensive clothing. And now she expected him to take her home because she had had a fight with her boyfriend. Clearly she thought hell had frozen over.

"Sorry, no can do. Looks like you and Schaeffer will have to patch things up." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "You can keep the shirt, though." No need to make the girl go around in nothing more than her bra and panties; he was more of a gentleman than that.

His stomach turned a little when the girl just nodded dejectedly and hugged the shirt tighter around her skeletal frame. "Yeah... okay. I understand." She forced her feet clumsily back into her open-toed, heeled, sandal things (why did girls wear such complicated shoes?), gingerly picked her wet clothes up off the ground, and started walking... away from the house.

Both boys stared for a moment before Neji spoke up, "What the hell are you doing?"

The girl turned back to them with a surprised blink. "I live in that direction," -she vaguely pointed- "so it's easier to cut through the yards here and come out on Crestmont St."

There was a moment of awkward silence until Sasuke stupidly blurted, "You're walking?"

Ino, for her part, just looked confused by his surprise. "You said I couldn't have a ride..."

"So you're walking?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to get home?" she snapped, and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff, at least looking a little more like the Ino they were used to. But Neji still couldn't get the picture of her disappointed and accepting out of his head. It was making him feel... guilty? Really? Ino Yamanaka, probably the biggest bitch he knew, was making _him_ feel bad?

He sighed in exasperation and told himself he only felt bad because of how freaking helpless her weight made her appear. Like she was fragile or something. Or just terminally ill. And you didn't make dying people walk home in their underwear in the middle of November. "All right, fine. You can have a ride."

She looked surprised by his sudden change in decision but not at all ungrateful. Trotting behind the two raven-haired boys, they made their way to the front of the house where the Hyuuga boy's usual towncar sat idling. Sasuke couldn't stop his smirk and a muttered, "What, Hyuuga, no limo?"

Neji staunchly chose to ignore him and climbed into the back of the car with the other two behind him, trying to ignore the surprised look his driver gave him as Ino and Sasuke told him their addresses, just knowing nothing good could come of it. Why the hell had he gone out that night?

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Don't worry about it, Hinata, Iruka can give you guys a ride home, dattebayo!"

The girl in question smiled gratefully the blond boy's way, closing her phone back up and putting it safely into her pocket. She had just called her driver, only to find he was busy with Neji and couldn't come for her right away. And she was terrified of what her father might do if she missed curfew, no matter what excuses she might give, so Naruto's offer was really a lifesaver.

And, just like he'd said, Iruka was more than happy to give both Hinata and Sakura a ride home, when suddenly Kiba, looking like he'd rather not say anything, offered grudgingly, "I can give Sakura a ride. She lives right down the street from me."

No one was more surprised by the dog-boy's offer than Sakura was. She knew how Kiba felt about her. "You're... you're sure?"

The brunette huffed and scratched uncomfortably at a red triangle. "Yeah. It's no big deal."

He was given a shy smile in return.

Naruto, though somewhat disappointed he wouldn't get to ride with Sakura and see where she lived, bid everyone a hearty farewell, climbing into Iruka's SUV and ushering Gaara and Hinata into the back. After only a minute, Hinata noticed Gaara staring at her and began to blush and shift awkwardly. Just what was he looking at?

"C... can I h-help you, Gaara-kun?"

Teal eyes narrowed. "Purple."

Hinata blinked. "W-what?"

"You would look good with some black eyeliner and purple eyeshadow." He tilted his head a bit before nodding to finalize the statement. Definitely purple, to help bring out the natural lavender tint of her eyes.

"O-oh." She paused. Had that been a compliment of some sort? "Th-thank you."

Naruto laughed from the seat in front of them, poking his blond spikes around the side with his usual big grin. "Geez, Tanuki-chan, keep it up and people will have no trouble believing your new shirt."

Gaara stayed blank and silent, but Hinata was lost. "Shirt?"

Wordlessly, the redhead reached into the Hot Topic bag at his feet and handed the new t-shirt to her, Naruto reaching up and turning the small ceiling light on so she could read it properly. Almost immediately, she started to softly giggle, hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"I'm not really gay," Gaara felt the need to confirm, but she nodded , the thought never having crossed her mind.

"Th-th-this... this will look very cute on you, Gaara-kun. It really suits you well."

Gaara was a bit stunned by the girl's words. Cute? Had she really just said he would look... _cute_?

Snickering at his best friend's reaction, Naruto was startled into silent staring as Iruka pulled up the long, winding driveway of the Hyuuga manor, blue eyes wide enough to pop. "Holy hell, Hinata, this place is huge!"

Hinata flushed. "My father is the sole owner of Hyuuga Corp."

Even Iruka couldn't keep from letting out a long, low whistle.

Turning steadily redder by the moment, Hinata opened her door with a soft, "Thank you for the ride, Umino-sensei."

"No problem, Hinata. I hope you had fun tonight with the boys."

She smiled brightly. "I did... G-goodnight, Naruto-kun. Good night, Gaara-kun." She paused, shooting one more grin over her shoulder. "I can't wait until I see you in your new shirt."

Gaara watched in awe as she shut the door and hurried up her front steps. Cute. She had said he would look... _cute_. Him.

A chuckle brought his attention back to the present, where he saw Naruto looking back at him in obvious amusement. He glared.

"You're blushing, Tanuki-chan."

Hinata smiled softly to herself as she walked in the front door of her house, trying to be quiet in the hope that her little sister was in bed by then. It had been an amazing night. She and Sakura had had fun together, as always, but it had been even better when they had met up with the boys. Kiba was just as friendly as ever, she had always enjoyed talking with Gaara despite his antisocial nature, and, best of all, she had gotten to spend some time with Naruto. Her blush was so bright it was nearly neon. She had been able to spend real time, outside of school, hanging out with _Naruto_! It was like a dream come true!

Just as she was spinning around happily in the middle of the large entryway (yes, she was really so happy she was dancing) the front door opened once more and she immediately came to a dead stop. "N-n-niisan. W-welcome... home..."

She blinked, trying to figure out if her eyes were deceiving her. Neji was standing in the doorway in nothing but formfitting, black boxer-briefs, a rash of goosebumps encompassing his entire body, his soaked clothes in hand, ever present scowl set firmly on his face. She blinked once more. "Um..."

Neji lifted his chin proudly, gave her his usual glaring look and huffed a haughty, "Good night, Hinata-sama," before stomping moodily up the stairs.

Once she was sure he was gone, the girl broke out into fits of uncontrollable laughter. This was most definitely a good night.

* * *

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	13. Pineapple Pedophilia

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Pineapple Pedophilia**

Monday for Ino _was not_ a good day. Well, it wouldn't have been a good day anyway, but it was only made worse by the events that had taken place on Friday night. Namely the fact that she had puked all over two of the hottest, most popular boys in the school. She wasn't the type of person who was used to being talked about in a humiliating way like this, and she didn't appreciate the way all those _losers_ laughed at her behind her back.

Luckily, it could have been much worse. Girls like her were expected to be horrible drinkers, lightweights who couldn't handle their alcohol and consumed far too much without any thought (something she would never do again now that she knew her pathetically small limit), so no one was overly surprised something like this had happened. If the jocks and other socially elite boys ever actually encountered a girl who could knock down as many beers as them, they probably wouldn't know what to do.

It was also a good thing it had been Sasuke and Neji she had thrown up on. The ravens were both cold, withdrawn, snotty bastards, but they weren't like the rest of the popular crowd. They didn't go around complaining about what had happened, didn't talk about Ino and call her names, didn't really do anything at all except glare at anyone who dared bring the subject up to their face... Or at least, that's what Neji did. She hadn't actually seen Sasuke that day, but if Hyuuga was reacting a certain way, chances are Uchiha was doing the same. Nearly anyone else would have tried to ruin her for the incident.

Besides, even if they _had_ been awful, horrible people about it, Ino knew deep down she still wouldn't really get angry with them. They had helped her out that night, gave her a ride home, were even quietly polite during said ride, all after she had been the one to mess up in the first place. That alone was more than anyone else would have done. So really, it wasn't that bad.

Now if only this day wasn't horrible for a completely different reason.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Neji entered Mitarashi-sensei's classroom, his usual scowl in place. The day had been somewhat trying for the angry boy. Everyone kept talking about what had happened with Ino, which meant they were talking about him, which meant quite a few of them wanted to talk _with_ him. Like he had ever seemed interested in conversation with those morons he shared a school with before. Like he wanted to remember the disaster that was his past Friday night. Or the torturous interrogation with his uncle the next day.

Then just to rub salt in the wound, Gaara and Lee were talking happily (well, Lee was happy and Gaara wasn't threatening anyone) about the events of _their_ Friday night. From what he could tell, they'd both had an amazing time. Not that he cared... he definitely wasn't jealous or anything...

Ignoring the way Tenten kept looking guiltily over her shoulder at Lee and the way Lee purposely kept his body turned away from the bun-haired girl, Neji propped his head up on his fist with a sigh. He couldn't help but vaguely wonder how Uchiha was handling this. Surely he wasn't taking it any better than Neji himself.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sasuke groaned and tried desperately to block out Naruto's senseless chatter and Sakura's insistent flirting, trying to restrain himself from strangling the both of them and being done with it. Thank God Sai was quiet. Creepy, but quiet.

This had been the day from fucking hell. It was bad enough that all these fucking jagoffs who thought they were his friends kept coming up and trying to talk to him (why could they never take a fucking hint?), but he was also running a nice, high fever that was accompanied by an unrelenting, pounding headache. He knew he shouldn't be in school, should have just stayed home to finish recovering, definitely shouldn't have stayed for the program, but...

He shut his eyes and tried not to think about it. The way he'd woken up on Saturday sick and feverish to the point of near delirium. The way his brother's face had rippled in front of his eyes, obviously concerned. The way he had laid a cool, gentle hand on his hot forehead, pushed his sweaty hair back, helped him take his medicine, gotten him anything and everything he could possibly need or want. The way he'd taken care of him so lovingly...

It made Sasuke sick to his stomach. Just what the hell did Itachi think he was playing at, pretending to care so much? Did he really think Sasuke was buying it? He knew the truth. Itachi was a cold, unfeeling bastard whose soul only wasn't black as night because he didn't_ have_ a fucking soul. And so after waking up that day and realizing the bastard had turned off his alarm and he'd missed his first three periods, the irate younger raven had demanded his brother drive him to school, using the excuse of not wanting to miss a test when the older had seemed reluctant. Because he just couldn't stand to stay home one more day and have his brother take care of him again.

He couldn't stand it when his brother pretended he loved him.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"-and it was totally awesome. Seriously, man, you shoulda been there. You would've had a great time."

Shino inclined his head, keeping vigilantly silent as per usual. Not was it only in his nature, but it was often easier to just let Kiba do all the talking.

"_Then_ we met up with Hinata-chan and Sakura. You know Sakura Haruno, right? Course you do. Anyway, we met them at the mall and went to Denny's, it was pretty cool." A feral grin spread across his crimson dusted cheeks. "I got to sit next to Hinata-chan."

Another slow nod. He definitely didn't want to get into _that_ kind of conversation with Kiba, especially not about sweet, little Hinata. Shino found he rather liked the dark-haired girl, certainly more than he liked most people. It was hard not to.

"Too bad she's so crazy for Narutard. Lucky bastard don't even see it when s'right in front of him. It's like danglin' a steak in front of a dog and havin' it turn away and go after a measly bone instead... one with pink hair. I mean, c'mon, Sakura barely even tolerates him. And, well I guess she is kinda pretty and all, but compared to Hinata... c'mon, man, there's no competition."

A bland hum. When would Hinata return from the restroom?

Kiba sighed. "Oh well, that's Naruto for ya. He's always been that way, ever since I met him... Moron."

Kurenai-sensei seemed to be running awfully late that day.

"But yeah, what I wanted to tell ya was that since we all had such a great time, we're planning on gettin' together at least once over Thanksgiving break. Go hang out and just do stuff like we did Friday. Movies, mall, whatever. Maybe crash at someone's house... you get the idea. So... I dunno, if you maybe... wanted to give me your number or somethin', I could give you a call whenever we make actual plans. That way you can come if you're free... and you want to."

Shino stared.

The classroom door opened and Kurenai entered speaking softly with a blushing Hinata, apparently having met up with her in the hallway. Both females offered the boys small smiles, the older of the pair looking particularly amused. "Sorry I'm late, guys. Did you two manage to keep yourselves occupied?"

Kiba grinned her way. "Yeah, sensei, no problem. Me and Shino were just talkin'."

"Oh? Did you have a nice conversation?"

The smaller boy chuckled good-naturedly, suppressing an eyeroll at how patronizing the woman could sound sometimes. They were young, but they weren't little kids. "Yeah, of course we did."

Shino... found himself internally agreeing.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto yawned, rather loudly, into the palm of his hand, earning himself a nasty glare from the pink-haired girl next to him. He mumbled a sheepish apology, not that he had meant to be annoying. He was just bored. They didn't have an 'activity', as Kakashi-sensei called them, planned for that day, which meant the day was supposed to just be 'open discussion'. Meaning the kids were supposed to talk amongst each other about whatever tickled their fancy. The problem was that no one but him seemed very interested in talking. Sai would much rather draw, Sakura would rather do her algebra, and Sasuke... well, teme didn't look so good to be honest. He was just sort of staring at the table with glazed, dark eyes. Kakashi-sensei, likewise, was just sitting at the silent table with his face propped up on his fist, glancing at the clock every two minutes. Naruto sighed. This really just wouldn't do.

"So..." he started cautiously, on full alert should Sakura's fist try to reacquaint itself with his skull, "what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?"

His inquiry was met with four blank stares.

"Y'know, since it's this Thursday and all. Are you, like... spending it with your families... or something?"

More silent staring, and he began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. What had he said? It wasn't _that_ weird of a question to ask, at least he hadn't thought it was. In fact, he was sure it wasn't. The usual group of guys had talked about it over lunch that day, and none of them had found it strange. "What?" After a pause, he added, "Don't tell me none of you have plans."

The very thought was shocking. Thanksgiving wasn't exactly Christmas, but most American families still did _something_ on that day, whether it be a casual microwave dinner in front of the TV watching football, to a full-out formal sit-down feast with everyone front Great-aunt what'shername to every third cousin in the phonebook; but they did _something_. For all three classmates and his teacher to have no plans...

"My family doesn't celebrate holidays," Sai said with a smile while Sakura muttered something about her mother working and Sasuke stayed moodily silent. Immediately Naruto's mind began to whirl.

"Hey, y'know, Tanuki-chan's sister is working too, and his brother is doing somethin' with his girlfriend or somethin', so he's comin' over to my house for dinner. Do you guys... I dunno, do you wanna come too? Iruka won't mind."

A long silence followed after his offer, though not really the uncomfortable kind. Sai and Sakura had both abandoned their pencils in favor of focusing on the blond and Sasuke hadn't looked up, but rather studied the scratched tabletop with even more fervor than before, all carefully considering their options. It was with a bit of a jolt that Naruto realized whatever exactly it was his classmates did around the holidays, _his_ household was the most 'normal'. _He_ was the one who did the 'family thing' more than anyone else in the room. If someone had told him when he was younger that this day would come, he would have asked them just what exactly they were on.

Finally, Sakura said very slowly, "Umino-sensei wouldn't mind? You're sure?"

Naruto's grin was wide enough to split his face open, elated that his crush was even considering his offer. "Nah, Iruka really wouldn't care how many people came. I just need to give him a little bit of warning, that's all. The more the merrier."

The pink-haired girl nodded, admitting that did sound like their old elementary school teacher. Always kind, caring, without a doubt one of the friendliest people any of them had ever met. And while she wasn't one hundred percent sure she wanted to spend more time out of school with Naruto and his loud, annoying ways, it _would_ be nice to have a real Thanksgiving dinner, to be able to get out of the house for the holiday...

"I'll come."

Sasuke's sudden proclamation startled everyone, but after the initial shock wore off, Naruto's smile managed to grow. "Really, teme? Sweet!"

Sasuke nodded stiffly, eyes still transfixed on the table. This would be nice. It was the perfect way to get away from Itachi and his insistence on trying to act like a family or something, the way he did every holiday. Acting as if he hadn't single-handedly destroyed their family.

"If Sasuke-kun's going, I will too!" Sakura immediately squealed, wincing a bit when she realized just how she had sounded. Sasuke's words still came back on occasion to haunt her, reminding her what he thought of her usual behavior around him, and she really was trying to tone it down. Old habits just died hard.

Naruto's smile faltered for a bit, feeling put-out by Sakura's reasoning, but it quickly renewed itself when he realized that at least she'd be there, even if it was only because of teme. "Awesome, dattebayo!" His eyes flashed over to the only one who hadn't said anything yet. "Sai, how 'bout you?"

Sai was silent for a while longer, his mind far away, years away really, from the classroom his body currently resided in. He had been completely truthful when he said his family didn't celebrate holidays... any holidays. Danzou didn't believe in them. But... he could remember a time... there was something extra special and warm about the small house. Sweets that were normally carefully restricted could be found in abundance, cookies or candy everywhere. Decorations of varying kinds were put up with a type of near reverence. There were always extra smiles to go around. And then for some holidays, presents, there seemed like there were so many packages, all in shiny paper, wrapped up beneath a tree, or set on the kitchen table with balloons around...

With a small start, he was brought back to the present, blinking several times to gain his bearings. He had really zoned out for a moment there. And his stomach ached. "Yes, Dickless, I would very much like to join you. If you're sure it's all right with your family."

Naruto, more startled by Sai's agreeing than either of the other's, was quick to reassure. "It's no problem really. Iruka wouldn't care if I invited the whole school, though that would be kind of expensive." He scratched a scarred cheek absently. "Oh, you never met Iruka! Sorry, I'm used to, like, _everyone_ knowing him. He teaches at the elementary school, he's _really_ nice. Everyone likes him..." Here he broke off his babbling, a sly smile crossing his lips as his eyes darted over to their masked English teacher. "Hey, Kakai-sensei, you're more than welcome to come to y'know. I'm sure Iruka would just _love_ to have you there."

The other three kids knew they were missing something when Kakashi blushed to the roots of his silver hair and looked away, coughing uncomfortably into his hand. "Thanks anyway, Naruto, but, uh, I need to take my dog to the vet that day."

"But the vet's not open on a holiday," the blond said sweetly, blue eyes wide with mock innocence.

"This is a special vet," Kakashi deadpanned.

"The imaginary kind?"

As the program went on in a similar fashion, Kakashi had to repeat over and over to himself that strangling a student wasn't worth the resulting loss of pension.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Asuma was pissed. Not annoyed, not upset, not even just plain angry, but _pissed_. Ino was being a bitch. Well, admittedly, Ino was quite often a bitch, but not like this. Never before had she been so blatantly rude and disrespectful to, not only the boys, but him as well. And he did not appreciate it.

Since it had been an open discussion day, he had tried to get the kids started on a topic of conversation that was safe and they would all enjoy. Remembering how Ino was a closet nerd, and how she tended to relax her 'prom queen facade' at least a little during group, he promptly brought up video games. The boys went along with it easily enough, talking about everything from the newest 360 games to the old Sega Genesis. Asuma was a bit surprised both when Ino stayed completely silent during the beginning of the conversation and when the boys made no move whatsoever to include her in it. Normally when she was in an anti-social mood, Shikamaru would use a combination of friendly inquiries and playful taunts to draw her out of the shell she wanted to hide in. Today, however, he seemed content to just leave her be.

Unfortunately, that really wasn't what the program was about. So, doing his job like a good little drone, he attempted to bring her into the conversation. He wasn't expecting the volatile reaction he got in response.

Left and right, Ino started hurling biting comments, spitting out hurtful words, degrading all three males in the room at every opportunity. Asuma immediately wished he had followed Shika's lead and left her be, because this was not okay. Being moody, bitchy, occasionally hostile, all of those were ingrained parts of Ino's personality, the big man was well aware of that, but this... this was taking things to a whole new, unacceptable level.

Now, Asuma was all too aware of what had happened at Josh Marsh's party that past Friday night. Despite what the students tended to think, he and all but the most ancient of teachers were aware of their gossip and heard far more about the kids personal lives than they'd often like to. For some reason, teenagers seemed to think their teaches couldn't hear them when they were sitting only three feet away, talking about how wasted they'd gotten the previous night. It was an all too common misconception.

It was for that reason that Asuma knew Ino had gone to Marsh's party, gotten drunk, and thrown up, apparently all over Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga. _Everyone_ was talking about it. And he could see being the center of that kind of gossip taking its toll on the overly popular girl, which was why some degree of nasty behavior could be excused. But this...

"Look," he finally growled, "I don't know just what your problem is, but you had better get over it fast, because this kind of behavior is not acceptable."

Ice blue eyes glared at him, clearly daring him to actually do something about said behavior.

"Sensei," Shika muttered in an oddly subdued voice, "don't."

That was another thing that confused the hell out of Asuma. Why the hell was Shikamaru letting Ino get away with this crap without a word? He never let her insult either himself or Chouji without at least fighting back.

"I don't need you to defend me, pineapple head," Ino snapped with a ridiculous amount of malice in her tone. It was that more than the words themselves that had Asuma on edge.

"Ino, I'm warning you," he reiterated, eyes narrowing, but she cut him off with an angry, "Fuck it, I don't need this shit," immediately getting to her feet and swinging her bag and purse over her shoulder.

"Hey," Asuma barked, wishing he could pick the girl up and physically put her back in her seat to end this glorified temper tantrum, "there's still ten minutes left."

She didn't even look at him, just threw a clear, "Blow it out your ass, _sensei_," over her shoulder, slamming the classroom door behind her as she left.

Oh yeah, Asuma was seething.

Shutting his eyes for a moment and trying to get his own temper back under control he grit his teeth and forced out, "Go. Just go. I'll see you tomorrow," to the silent boys. He didn't want to keep them around and risk taking his anger out on them when they'd done nothing wrong.

As they moved to comply, however, he reached out and caught Shika by the arm, fixing him with a hard stare. "You mind telling me just what the hell that was all about?" Because he knew the boy genius knew.

With an aversion of eyes, the lazy teen shrugged and muttered, "It's the sixteenth," before he pulled his arm from the teacher's grip and went over to his friend waiting by the door.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Gaara stepped out of the school's front doors with Lee by his side, exchanging goodbyes with the much taller boy as he set off across the parking lot on his walk home, noting that Sarutobi's group was already there, Shika and Chouji leaning against one wall while Ino was across the way, leaning on the other, shoulders hunched, arms hugging herself in a defensive manner. Not at all like the usual, self-assured blond.

Not really caring what was wrong with the bitch, Gaara made his way over to the two boys, nodding his greeting to them both. "Hey, Gaara," Shika drawled with his usual lazy grin. "We still on for today?"

"If you don't mind."

Naruto came out of nowhere then, a blur of yellow and blond, immediately chatting away about how his group were all coming over for Thanksgiving, and Gaara should try and be nice to all of them when they were there, and he was so happy Sakura-chan was coming, and he couldn't believe teme and Sai-bastard had both said they would come, and, "Bye, Sakura-chan!"

There was the usual pause, the minute turning of the pink head, the resigned sigh, and a much more subdued, "Goodbye, Naruto."

Naruto grinned like the idiot he was.

"Hey... Sakura!" a gruff voice suddenly yelled, startling Gaara a bit because Kiba had never before been able to sneak up behind him like that.

Sakura paused once more, actually turning around fully this time to face the boy who had called her, eyebrows raised in a silent 'what?'.

Kiba cleared his throat harshly. "Look, it's stupid for you to walk all the way home, and... y'know, it's cold. My mom or sister come get me everyday so... I mean you live right down the street."

Sakura eyed him hesitantly before asking with completely genuine curiosity, "Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"

The dog-lover didn't even pause to answer, "Because you're suddenly being nice."

Though Naruto was completely lost, Sakura didn't need Kiba to clarify his statement. She made her way back over to the group of boys with a soft, "Thanks."

While Gaara double-checked with Naruto that Iruka could give Shikamaru a ride to his place as well ("Of _course_ he can, Tanuki-chan, he's already going there anyway."), Kiba eyed Ino suspiciously from his spot against the wall. "What's wrong with princess over there?"

This drew everyone's attention to the rather distraught looking blond, but Chouji was quick to answer in a surprisingly firm voice, "Leave her alone today, Kiba. She's not feeling well." Sakura fiddled with the hem of her coat and Shikamaru stared at the toes of his worn-out, generic Converse.

All three of them were rather grateful when a distraction came in the source of a blushing Hinata. Immediately making her way to Sakura, the pale-eyed girl smiled, opened her mouth to speak, and was immediately cut off by an equally pale-eyed boy striding by her and impatiently snapping, "Now, Hinata-sama," without pause. There were more than a few scowls sent his way when Hinata complied instantly and without complaint.

Being mean to Hinata just wasn't okay.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Ino really wished it wasn't November sixteenth. She had her reasons, of course. The sixteenth of every month was dreaded for her. Because when her parents got divorced, they had worked out a rather interesting way to share custody. The first through the fifteenth of every month, Ino stayed with her father. The sixteenth through the rest of the month, she stayed with her mother.

It wasn't really difficult to move between the two homes. Both were within the school district, only about fifteen minutes apart, in fact. She had a full wardrobe waiting for her at both, two beds, two toothbrushes, two of just about everything. All she really carried back and forth was school work and her favorite old teddybear. It was all very easy. And it sucked royally. Because she _hated_ the sixteenth.

"Am I really expected to come pick you up every day?"

Blue eyes slid shut, as if that would take her away from the over-priced sports car and that voice. "The program's Monday through Thursday. If you don't want to pick me up I can find a ride." She would probably find a ride anyway, just so this would be the last time she would have to sit through this.

"It's just such a _hassle_. Really, what was your father thinking signing you up for this?"

The pretty blond was almost immediately on the defensive. "He said he thought it would be good for me."

The older woman rolled her eyes as she ran a stop sign without heed. "Like you really need to see a shrink."

"The program's not like that." She blew out a huff of air, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "Daddy was just doing what he thought was best for me." _Something you've never done_.

"He spoils you."

Ino clenched her jaw. "Maybe." _At least he cares_.

"There's no maybe about it. I've seen how much money he wastes on you."

Ah yes, money. Ino hated money, too. If it weren't for money, she wouldn't have to dread the sixteenth of every month.

The car jolted to a stop at a red light, and her mother's elegant hand reached into a designer purse, red, expertly done nails pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She refused to look over at the woman driving. Akira Yamanaka was a gorgeous woman who looked only half her age with a perfect body. Ino hated looking at her mother. Her blond hair and ice blue eyes that looked so much like Ino's. It was the reason the girl always wore her hair the way she did, so she would look more like her father. Anything to look less like _her_.

"I saw those new shoes he bought you. Two hundred and eighty dollars. For a _child_ like you."

Ino would gladly give up those and every pair of shoes she'd ever owned if it meant the sixteenth would be like any other day. She honestly hadn't even asked for the shoes, her father had seen her squeal over them and bought them at the drop of a hat. She had to admit he did that a lot.

"You're going to have to find a ride from now on, I really don't have time to be worrying about you constantly."

Of course, maybe he wouldn't do it so often if he saw her for more than half the month. "No problem." Cigarette smoke burned her eyes. She hated cigarettes.

"Have you put on weight again? I swear, every time you come back from him, you're fatter. You already look horrible, how far do you plan on letting yourself go?"

Maybe he wouldn't do it so often if her other parent stopped giving her nothing but criticism. "I'll go on another diet."

"You'd better. It's already embarrassing enough to be seen with you, I refuse to walk around with a fat slob. Now, I have a _guest_ coming over tonight. I expect you to be out of the way by eight."

Maybe he wouldn't do it so often if her other home actually felt like a home. "Okay, Mom."

The woman shot her a disgusted look, perfectly painted face pulled into an ugly expression. "Christ, Ino, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

Blue eyes slid shut once more. Maybe he wouldn't do it so often if her mother didn't only keep her around for his money. "Sorry, Akira."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Itachi frowned at the paler than usual boy sitting in the passenger seat of his car. He was positive the teen still had a fever, but when he'd attempted at a red light to feel his forehead, he'd come very close to not getting his hand back. Okay, so no touching.

"Take some more medicine when we get home."

This, of course, resulted in a scowl and a pissy, "I'll take it if I feel like it."

Wonderful, being sick was making the youngest Uchiha even more cranky than normal. Itachi could already feel the impending headache. Best change the subject. "Did your test go well?"

"None of your business."

Of course, what had he been thinking? How dare he ask about anything even mildly personal in his little brother's life. It's not like he, as the elder sibling and legal guardian of the boy, had any prominent part in it.

Sasuke pouted a bit, shifted around in his seat uncomfortably, and turned his onyx glare onto the older raven. "My... friend invited me over to his house for Thanksgiving dinner or whatever. I'm going."

Itachi very nearly ran a red light. "You're... going over to someone's house... for the holiday."

"Hn."

The older boy did his best not to stare, but it was a futile effort. Sasuke was making a willing effort to socialize with other people? And not at some kind of large group gathering, but a holiday dinner. A personal sort of event. The kind usually spent with family... "You're sure you don't... we could-"

"I said I'm going to Naruto's."

Itachi bit his cheek, not at all surprised by his suggestion being immediately shot down. Sasuke hadn't even wanted to accept a gift from his older brother last Christmas, let alone actually do something like eat Thanksgiving dinner with him, watch football... not that Itachi really cared for the game, but if it meant being able to spend some real time with Sasuke, he would be willing to do just about anything.

Biting back a disappointed sigh, he forced himself to focus on the positive side of things. At least Sasuke was starting to slowly reach out to somebody, even if that person wasn't him. Meaning just maybe there was hope for his wayward little brother yet.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Temari wearily made her way up the steps of the apartment complex, letting herself into her home, noting the unlocked door meant one or both of her little brothers was there. Considering it was a Monday, it had better be both of them within the next hour and a half. They knew her rule.

Absently taking her nametag off and tossing it onto the counter as she passed, she tugged at her pink uniform shirt with a frown. God did she hate waitressing, especially at that pathetic excuse for a diner. She really needed to start looking for a new job, one that didn't leave her feeling exhausted every time she got off.

She heard someone rummaging around in the kitchen and yelled harshly, "Kankurou, you fucking fatass, don't you dare even think about stuffing yourself with junk right now!" She wasn't expecting a ponytailed brunette she'd never seen before to emerge, glass of water in hand. Whoops.

"Uh, hi," she sputtered rather ineloquently. "Sorry about that, you're obviously not who I thought you were... I'm Temari."

"Shikamaru Nara," the boy offered, his voice a lazy, disinterested drawl she found immediately attractive. Almost as an afterthought, he added rather unnecessarily, "I'm a friend of your brother's."

Temari had, of course, kind of figured this was the case, but at least she was now sure a random stranger hadn't wandered into her home. "Where is the little bastard anyway?"

"In his room. I just came out to get a drink." He lifted the glass a bit to prove his words, taking a sip in the meantime. "Hope that's all right."

"What? Oh!" She flushed a bit with embarrassment. "Oh yeah, of course. That whole yelling thing... I just get sick of Kankurou loading up on junkfood right before dinner. He's worse than a little kid, I swear."

"Ah." He nodded his understanding. "Gotta admit, I got a little scared there for a second."

Blue eyes rolled. "Yes, I'm sure it was terrifying."

"It was," he said sincerely. "Nothing more scary than an angry, aggressive blond."

She couldn't tell whether or not he was insulting her, he looked and sounded bored but nothing else. "I'm not _aggressive_," she insisted stubbornly, feeling the need to defend herself just in case.

"Ah." Another nod. "So you're just PMSing then."

She blinked, stunned. Had he really just...? "If you think that was scary, come back in about a week when I really _am_ PMSing," she purred. "I'll show you just how aggressive I can be."

"Reeeally?" he said with a smirk. "I might just take you up on that offer."

Okay, so she was now officially flirting with a high schooler, but hey, she was only human. He was kind of good-looking, though a little small, had the exact laidback, impassive, sarcastic attitude she loved in a guy, seemed like he could hold his own in a fight, and he was much higher up on the evolutionary foodchain than most of the meatheads Kankurou brought home. Besides, it felt like forever since she'd gotten laid.

She made sure her smile was both sexy and predatory. "You do that. I'll be looking forward to it."

"Shikamaru? Are you okay?"

Temari felt a jolt when she heard the call from down the hall, not in Kankurou's loud, annoying voice but rather Gaara's soft, scratchy one. "Gaara?" she whispered to herself.

"I told you he was in his room," Shikamaru said evenly, taking another swig from the glass before raising his voice and calling out, "Fine, Gaara. Be there in a sec."

Temari felt rather like the world was spinning before her eyes. "You're... Gaara's friend." It came out as a statement more than a question, seeing as how the answer was rather obvious.

"Uh-huh."

"Right... so then you're... a freshman?"

"Yep."

She tried to ignore how amused he looked, obviously having figured out by now her dilemma. Definitely smarter than any of Kankurou's friends. How had she made that mistake? Then again, Gaara had never brought anybody but Naruto home before, and even that was rare, the two of them preferring the blond's house instead. Was it really so surprising she had automatically assumed... Shit, now that she looked closer she realized describing the smug-looking teen as 'small' wasn't nearly as accurate as simply saying 'young'. "So you're..."

"Fifteen," he supplied helpfully, taking a quick sip of water to keep the shit-eating grin off his face.

"Right." Fifteen? The kid was _fifteen_? God, she'd thought he was eighteen, at least seventeen, but _fifteen_? Fuck, he was _jailbait_, for crying out loud. She was some kind of creepy fucking pedophile!

Slumping past her in a slow, incredibly lazy gait, he flashed one more laughing glance her way along with, "See you later, Temari," and he definitely said her name with a certain teasing inflection.

Fuck, he was flirting back with her! She had just enticed and encouraged a freaking _kid_. With a despairing groan, the blond buried her face in her hands, willing the last few minutes to just disappear.

Clearly she was going to hell.

* * *

Two quick notes. First, one or two people were apparently a little confused about why Ino had such a low alcohol tolerance, and yes, there is a reason. The general rule of thumb for drinking is the more you weigh, the more you can handle. There are exceptions of course (my cousin's tiny and I've seen her drink guys twice her size under the table with ease), but that's the way it normally goes.

Second, this is a note I'm putting in now regarding the parents of the kids in this fic. While some of the situations may seem a little over the top... well, they're not. My cousin and I both work with children in several different capacities, and I've based all of the situations and parents in this fic on real life situations one or both of us has encountered while working with these kids. The only over the top part about it is that these children are all in the same class, something that in itself was meant to be a unique situation. Remember how Shizune first reacted when she read the children's files. So the parents in this fic that make you want to strangle them (Ino's mother), yeah, based on real people. The only one that's not based on someone I know is the situation with Sasuke, Itachi, and their family, which you will find out about later, and even that I got from hearing a similar story in the news. So again, even if some things seem over-dramatic, I didn't make them up. Sad.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry, Nostalgic Plastic Duck, poolday, TuffChick, ChocolateAngel-san, valenciadarkness, Genesisgoboom, melon42, Kaitlin Murasaki, mindcaster15, Fire-In-A-Tiger-Lily, ShamaLamaDingDong, I always wanted to post a fic, The Morbid Stilettos, Moonlit917, Cali-Bunny, KillerMay

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	14. The People You Meet in a Shrink's Office

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 14: The People You Meet in a Shrink's Office**

Sai nibbled absently on the corner of a rather dry turkey sandwich as he perused the worn, breaking spines of over-used and abused library books. Technically you weren't supposed to have food in the library but... well, it's not like the ancient woman who ran the place would even notice.

The dark-haired boy knew he was very antisocial, that he didn't understand how to properly act around other people, and that had never bothered him before. Ever. But then the psychologist woman had made him sign up for the after school program and he had met the blond bundle of energy known as Naruto Uzumaki. And his whole world felt like it was slowly being rebuilt. Like puzzle pieces that had suddenly decided to change shape and needed to be shifted in order to fit together once more. He wasn't yet sure whether this would prove to be good or bad, but after being invited to Naruto's for Thanksgiving, he decided he would look through the school's psychology section to find a book that could better help him get along with others.

Taking another bite and wondering how this crap the cafeteria had passed off as food could possibly have cost him two-fifty, he continued to scan his eyes over the different titles, finally settling on _Basic Interactions of the Human Species_. Yes, that seemed like it may be useful.

Taking it up to the front desk in order to check it out, ignoring the nasty look the old librarian sent his lunch, the pale boy smiled and politely gave his thanks, making his way back into the hall and down towards the cafeteria to finish eating and begin reading. He wanted the entire thing done before Thanksgiving, after all.

For some reason, he just really wanted that day to go well. And he wouldn't let his own ineptness be the cause of any problems.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Ino _did not_ want to stay for the after school program. Well, really she never wanted to stay, but this time the feeling was even stronger than usual. She had a good reason, of course. That reason being that she _knew_ she had acted like a huge bitch the day before. And while she also knew that neither Shikamaru nor Chouji would use anything she had said that day against her... well, why should she care about those losers anyway? They weren't the ones she was worried about.

Making sure she was the first to arrive, the girl set up the desks in the usual manner... then paused. Gnawing on her bottom lip until the pink gloss disappeared, she grabbed the desk she usually sat in, the one apart from all the others, and dragged it around to form a perfect square. Biting the abused flesh a bit more, the girl tentatively sat down, hoping the gesture would be accepted.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Tenten entered the classroom, frowning a little when she saw the only one currently there was Lee. Because quite frankly she had been... well, avoiding him.

Not because she didn't like him. She had never liked nor disliked the strange boy, and her feelings hadn't changed as of late. But she did remember the incident at Denny's less than a week ago. She remembered the look on his face. And so she had decided it was best to just not speak with him.

Of course, however much she may want to avoid the boy, she wasn't going to go so far as to turn around and walk back out of the room, wait until someone else was there as well. That was just pathetic, not to mention insulting, so she resolutely walked by his desk, going to a seat of her own a bit behind him. See, no big-

"Hello, Tenten! How are you on this fine afternoon?"

Who the hell really talked like that? "I'm... great, Lee. Thanks... And you?"

"I am doing great as well, thank you. Did you happen to start on the assignment for Nimarashi-sensei's class?"

"Uh, yeah, I got the first few problems done."

"Ah." He nodded sagely in understanding. "Would you mind, perchance, if I was to take a look at it? Not to copy!" he quickly assured, holding up an index finger in emphasis. "Simply to help me understand the formula of the problems more clearly. I am afraid math is not my strongest subject."

Not caring if the other teen _did_ want to copy it, Tenten dug through her bag and handed the worksheet over, nearly blinded by the smile she was given in return. How did he do that?

"Thank you very much, Tenten. I shall have it returned to you by the end of group!"

Nodding and still blinking spots from her eyes, the bun-haired girl's attention was caught by the arrival of a particularly sour-looking Hyuuga. "Well, someone's even more sullen than usual. What happened? Get thrown up on again?"

She wasn't surprised by the way Neji ignored her completely, and after she'd watched the way his hair swayed when he sat (what, the bastard _was_ good-looking), she glanced back over at Lee who was diligently studying the nearly intelligible scrawl she passed off as handwriting... and only then did she realize what had happened.

Lee had spoken with her. Quite normally (or at least it was normal for Lee), and he'd been his usual, overly polite self. He hadn't made any indication he even remembered the incident last Friday, let alone brought it up. And he hadn't looked like he held any kind of grudge... not that she had done anything wrong in the first place...

Damn. Why did she suddenly feel even worse?

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Okay, guys, that's it for today. Since tomorrow's a half-day, there's no after school programs, so I'll see you after the holiday. Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving." Kurenai smiled warmly at her three charges as they filed out of the classroom, each giving their own polite goodbyes in turn.

Kiba was about to make his way to the front of the building to meet up with Sakura and wait for his ride when a hand suddenly descended on his shoulder, making him pause. He glanced up at Shino with raised eyebrows, surprise evident on his face. "Yeah?"

There was a moment of hesitation before the taller boy handed him a neatly folded slip of paper. "My number."

"Oh." After a moment it truly hit Kiba just what was in his hand. _Oh_. "Heh, awesome. I'll give you a call whenever we do somethin'."

Shino's only reply was a nod before he walked away, but Kiba wasn't bothered in the slightest. In fact, he found he felt pretty good. Being nice and all that crap had worked. Who would have thought?

Smiling a little, he put the paper safely away in the confines of his pocket.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Ino, hold on for just a minute, please."

At the bearded teacher's call, Ino halted her steps, shoulders tensing. Ignoring the boys as they walked past her to leave the room, she slowly turned and walked back to where the older man stood, leaning against his desk. "Yeah?"

Asuma nearly smiled at how nervous the girl looked. Like she was expecting him to bite her head off. "I wanted to say thank you for being so cooperative today. I'm well aware you don't want to be here, but when you act like you did today it makes everyone's lives a little easier. I really appreciate it."

The blond nearly sighed in relief. She hadn't really ever said sorry for her behavior the day before, but she was hoping the man would pick up on her unspoken apology. She may be a bitch with others her age, but rarely was she ever disrespectful to adults the way she had been with her math teacher yesterday. Her father would be furious if he ever found out how she had acted. That wasn't how he raised her. "Sure, sensei. No problem."

The teacher grunted, shifting a few papers on the desktop around, refusing to make eye contact. "I also wanted to say that if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me. Not just during the program either. Feel free to come find me anytime."

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. That... that was really nice of him. She knew he was in charge of her and the boys during the after school program, and that he was supposed to listen to them and 'guide' them during that time and all that crap; but there was really no reason for him to offer what he just had. He was under no obligation to give a flying fuck about her and her problems outside of the two hours at the end of each day.

"Thanks, sensei." And she meant it. Not that she ever _would_ really go and talk to him, but still, the gesture in itself was enough to make her feel better about... everything that had been going on lately. There had just been so much shit going on... "Happy Thanksgiving, okay?"

"Thanks, Ino. Happy Thanksgiving."

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sakura let out a long, low sigh, setting her bag down onto her bed, glancing at the clock on her nightstand and startling for just a moment before a grin broke out across her face. She had grown so accustomed to the long walk home she felt nearly giddy at how much time she saved getting a ride from Kiba. Now she wouldn't have to rush through her homework like a maniac or stay up all hours of the night. And really his family had been so nice about the whole thing. True they were neighbors and they literally drove past her house to get to theirs anyway, but they still didn't _have _to give her a ride; but both his mother and sister had just greeted her with a smile and made pleasant small talk the whole way. Even Kiba really was being much more pleasant around her.

"_Because you're suddenly being nice." _

She felt an embarrassed blush break out over her face at the remembered words. Maybe... maybe she really had been a little mean in her treatment of Naruto before. Yes, he was too loud and sometimes annoying but... well, he was also really sweet, and his heart was always in the right place. He had also invited not only her but also Sasuke and even Sai to his house, to celebrate a holiday with his family (however unconventional his family might be) for no other reason than because he was that nice of a person... Speaking of Thanksgiving...

Hearing the front door open and quietly shut, the girl made her way from her room into the kitchen, smiling at the small woman that greeted her. "Hi, Mama."

"Hello, sweetheart, how was your day?"

Sakura did her best to keep a bright look on her face, the same way she always did around her mother. Haruka Haruno was a timid woman of diminutive stature who looked much older than her thirty-one years. Premature lines had taken over a once beautiful face, and hair that used to be as bright as her daughter's now looked limp and lifeless, turning from a bubblegum pink to a more subdued shade of salmon. She was only just considered middle-aged, if that, and already she had taken on the mannerisms of an old woman. Sakura loved her mother to death, she was the most important person in her life... but it often made her sad just to look at her.

"It was fine... Mama, I wanted to ask if it was all right... I mean, my friend from school invited me and a few others over to his house for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Is it okay if I go?" She already knew the answer of course, but asking permission was just the right thing to do.

"Of course, Sakura, that's wonderful! You go on and have a good time... _He_ did you say?"

They spent the next ten minutes chatting briefly about Naruto and then Sasuke and Sai as well. Not that her mother hadn't already heard plenty about Sasuke over the years, but they hadn't had much of a chance to talk since Sakura had started the after school program. Her mother worked a lot, after all.

Laughing happily at something the older woman had just said, Sakura's giggles immediately came to a halt when the door opened once more. Jade eyes instantly averted off to the side.

"Oh, welcome home, dear." Haruka bustled over to the man standing in the doorway, taking his coat for him without hesitation. "Are you hungry? There's some leftovers in the fridge, or I could whip something up for you if you'd prefer."

"Hi, Dad," Sakura muttered quickly before retreating to her room, never glancing back, and firmly shutting and locking the door before collapsing on her bed feeling suddenly drained. That had been the first time in quite a while she had been able to just sit and talk with her mother; but of course _he_ had to come home and ruin it.

He always ruined everything.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sai approached the living room, smile resolutely in place. He had often fallen back onto the same expression before simply because from watching others he devised that was the best thing to do. Now, however, he was _sure_ it was the best thing to do. He had been diligently studying the book he borrowed from the library all day, and it had said a smile was the best way to start a conversation off on the right foot and dissolve any tension there might be during a social situation because it tended to put others at ease. So as he walked up to his guardian, he made sure to keep his smile on. Because that was what normal people usually did when initiating a friendly chat.

"Don't use that fake smile around me, boy."

Of course, Danzou-sama wasn't exactly normal himself and he was well aware Sai was about as far from normal as you could get. He liked him that way. Or at least the pale boy was under the impression he did.

Smile not slipping, Sai quoted the most prominent passages from the book, making Danzou frown at him from his seat on the couch.

"Why exactly are you bothering to read such things?"

"I am trying to get better with my social interactions so as not to ruin the situation for others around me. A classmate of mine asked me to come for a holiday dinner tomorrow, and I did not want to cause uncomfortable circumstances once more because of my lack of knowledge." It made perfect sense after all.

"Oh? A holiday dinner, is it?"

Sai kept smiling. "Yes. The classmate is in the same group as I am during the after school program. He invited all of us."

"I see. So this boy... is a friend?"

The smile wavered just a bit. "Of course not. I don't have any friends. Such emotional ties are completely unnecessary."

"Indeed." The old man shifted, leaning closer to the boy. "But going to dinner on a holiday, that's the sort of thing you do with friends. You aren't trying to become friends with this boy... are you?"

The smile distinctly drooped. "Of course not, Danzou-sama."

"Good. You do remember what happened the last time you had a _friend_. Don't you?"

The smile was gone. "Of course, Danzou-sama."

"I'm glad. I thought for a moment you had forgotten everything you learned."

Sai trembled just a little. Forgotten... he hadn't forgotten anything. He still remembered the warm feeling that holidays gave him. That really nice feeling, where everything just seemed so special. It was that feeling he wanted to try to find again, the reason he had agreed to go to Naruto's. He just wanted to feel that one more time...

But there were other things he remembered to. Lots of other things. Having a friend, a brother, who he truly cared for, having someone who was really special to him, and then...

Sai remembered lots of things.

And they hurt.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Itachi flipped languidly through the pages of a random magazine, refusing to look up and make eye contact with anyone else in the room. The waiting room of a therapist's office was always... interesting. There were people who clearly had nervous disorders of some kind, who fiddled in their seats practically twitching and either refused to touch anything or systematically went through touching nearly everything in sight. There were the businessmen and women who came in wearing suits and tasteful high heels, a good deal of them there for either stress or something like alcoholism. There were the couples, occasionally even with small children in tow, clearly there for marriage or family counseling of some sort, the women sometimes looking quite battered and making Itachi avert his eyes in disgust, lest he show the lousy prick they were with what he thought of hitting females. And of course there were always troubled teens in abundance, some with parents, some simply dropped off by busy or uncaring guardians, sitting slumped in their seats with their headphones on and scowls in place. Yes, Itachi remembered bringing Sasuke both there and several other therapist's offices in the past. It had never worked.

Now he kept his eyes glued to the pages of his chosen reading material, trying to ignore the way the fifteen year old girl sitting across the room from him, dressed stereotypically in all black, was making eyes at him. He shuddered at the very thought.

"Itachi."

Mentally sighing in relief, he neatly set his magazine down on top of the pile, uncrossed his legs, and stood, draping his coat elegantly across one forearm as he followed his usual therapist back to her office. Mrs. Katherine James, Kathy as Itachi had learned to call her, was a psychologist (not psychiatrist) in her late forties. She specialized in victimized teens and had been the first person Itachi was sent to talk to (by strict order of the court) after his parents' deaths, back when he was only fourteen. Since he had immediately liked her and they had gotten on well, he had never felt the need to see a different therapist over the years. Talking with her had become such a familiar routine by now he couldn't even imagine doing things differently.

Dropping down onto the couch in the room and tucking a strand of dark hair behind one ear, Itachi looked over at the woman flipping idly through her notes, mentally refreshing herself on what they'd discussed last session. Really, he'd seen her only a week ago, meaning they were breaking their usual two week trend, but that wasn't uncommon around the holidays. Any time a major holiday came up, Christmas and Thanksgiving being the most prominent ones, they scheduled an extra appointment. They had done so ever since Itachi was fifteen and Kathy had realized how depressed the boy got around the holidays with no one to celebrate them with. The last thing she wanted was Itachi to have a setback because he was lonely.

"So, 'Tachi, how have things been?"

Itachi paused, absently biting a thumbnail in concentration, something he would never do in public but had learned long ago not to care about there. "Sasuke told me yesterday that he's planning on going to a friend's house for the holiday."

Kathy paused, hand poised in midair, before the ballpoint pen she'd been holding hit her desk with a thud. Itachi smirked. It wasn't often he was able to catch the sharp older woman so off guard. After a moment, she composed herself and fixed the young man with a searching look. "Really? That's unexpected... And how do you feel about it?"

"What do you mean how do I feel? Of course I'm happy." He fingered the ends of his hair absently. "I mean, this is exactly what I've been hoping for. That Sasuke would come out from the walls he'd built up around himself." He paused briefly, thinking. "And the boy was from the same group in that after school thing. Which means maybe that program will really work after all. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

There was a long silence where Kathy said nothing, just continued to peer at the raven overtop her glasses. Itachi caved.

"All right, so I am a bit upset that he chose not to spend the day with me; but I really wasn't expecting him to." He smiled bitterly. "Why should this year be different from any other?"

Why indeed? Kathy tapped her pen lightly against the her thigh, hesitating before continuing brashly, "You know, Itachi, I know we've discussed it before, but... maybe if you were to tell Sasuke the truth-"

"No."

Well, that had gone exactly as she thought it would. "I understand why you don't want to tell him, Itachi, but I really think you should reconsider. You thought he would be happier believing his own false version of events, but that's rather obviously not the case. It's been seven years and all he's done is get angrier. And he is getting older now. Old enough, I think, to hear the truth and be able to handle it. Furthermore... you're still here, Itachi. They're not. You really need to take that into account... Just think about it, all right?"

Itachi said nothing, black eyes staring holes into the wild patterns of the plush carpet. Tell him... Just how the hell could he be expected to tell Sasuke something like that? Tell him something that would shatter his entire view of the world?

The silent man shook his head, refusing to reflect on it any longer. He couldn't tell Sasuke that. He couldn't let his little brother know. He would rather have Sasuke hate him for the rest of his life.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Naruto hummed happily to himself as he skipped (oh yes, skipped) to his third period class, ignoring all the stares sent his way. Only two more classes to go, then the half day was over and he was free for the holiday. He was in a good mood, dammit, and nothing was going to ruin it!

"Dickless."

Not even that horrible nickname. "Hey, Sai-bastard!" he greeted cheerily, pausing to let the pale boy catch up. "Remember, dinner's tomorrow at five, but feel free to come over earlier, like two or somethin'. You still have the address, right?"

"That is what I wished to discuss with you." Sai smiled fakely. "I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer after all."

Naruto felt his grin disappear completely. "Huh? You're not coming?"

"No."

"Oh." Naruto chewed on his lip, tilting his head a bit in confusion. "How come?"

Sai's smile widened. "Something has come up that will keep me from attending."

"Oh. Okay." The blond stuck his hands in his pockets, looking like he didn't know what to do with them. "Well, if you change your mind or whatever, you can always come over anyway. Five, okay?"

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you for the invitation."

"Yeah, man, no problem."

Smile never wavering, Sai turned and walked away to his own class, leaving a dejected blond in a bright orange coat standing alone in the middle of the hallway.

So much for his good mood.

* * *

Not the longest chapter, but it'll have to do. Sorry it took so long to get out. My beta, who used to live under the same roof as me, has now moved far away, meaning we're corresponding almost completely via email. Meaning I can't physically force her lazy ass to sit down and fix the chapter for me. So don't be surprised if updates take a little longer than before. My apologies.

As for the story, I hope my characters are coming across all right. I have a little bit of trouble writing Ino, but I'm trying to make her somewhat of a bitch who's going through a hard time right now but isn't really a bad person. Hope I'm succeeding. And if Itachi seems a little OOC during his scene, please keep in mind he's at his therapist's office. If you find a therapist you really click with, you don't bother to wear any masks or keep up any pretenses with them. It would be somewhat of a hindrance to the therapeutic process if you did.

Next chapter is the holiday.

FantasyChick, UberRandom, remychan123, sasunaru4evar, iscreamdrizzle, diadem-de-amor, miss kaitlin inuzuka, AspergianStoryteller, Magical Fox, midnight. wolf62, 3karen3, Alexilaihorox, The Epitome of Eccentricity, narutosavior, x-Malicious-Me-x, Norfolk, LilliesCry, Nostalgic Plastic Duck, poolday, TuffChick, ChocolateAngel-san, valenciadarkness, Genesisgoboom, melon42, Kaitlin Murasaki, mindcaster15, Fire-In-A-Tiger-Lily, ShamaLamaDingDong, I always wanted to post a fic, The Morbid Stilettos, Moonlit917, Cali-Bunny, KillerMay, aznphoenix95, shourin, someone179, KukiRew

Thank you for reviewing! It really makes me happy!


	15. Viva la Liberte

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, we would all be in serious trouble.

Warnings: This fic has bad language. Virgin ears be warned!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Viva la Liberte**

The house belonging to Iruka Umino and Naruto Uzumaki was spotless. Really. Every floor had been swept, every surface dusted and polished, every book carefully put away, shoes put into the closet, video game controllers put neatly beneath the TV with their proper console, empty ramen containers thrown into the trash. It was probably the cleanest either male had ever seen their home before, and Iruka vaguely thought about having Naruto invite friends over more often. This was the first time he'd ever gotten the blond to actually help him clean.

"Naruto, you done with those potatoes yet?"

"All peeled, dattebayo!"

And cook, for that matter. Naruto really didn't know how to prepare anything that didn't require pushing the buttons on the microwave, but that didn't mean he couldn't help with some of the more simple and yet time-consuming tasks. "Good. Think you can get the butter out of the fridge for me?"

"I'm on it!"

Hell, Naruto had never been this helpful with anything. Just as two sticks of butter were set on the counter ("I wasn't sure if you wanted all of it."), the doorbell rang, making a head full of blond spikes pop up like a happy puppy's. "Someone's here."

Iruka did everything in his power not to chuckle at how adorable the boy looked right then. "Well, go on. Answer it."

Seeming to realize then that yes, that was indeed the proper thing to do, Naruto launched himself at the front door like a rocket, skidding across the smooth entryway floor in his socks and barely avoiding a painful faceplant into hard wood. Taking just a second to catch his breath, the boy flung the door open, eyes widening in sheer delight at the sight that greeted him. "Sakura-chan!"

"Hey, Naruto." The girl shifted a bit awkwardly, glancing down at her watch. One-fifty. "I'm not too early, right?" Since she'd been walking (quite a far walk at that) it had been difficult to time it exactly.

"Not at all! C'mon in! Here, let me take your coat."

Shrugging out of the warm material and absently noting how good a host Naruto could be, the girl examined her surroundings, smiling at what she saw. It was exactly how she always imagined Umino-sensei's house would be. A decent-sized, middle-class house, not overly spacious, but not too small. Warm, everything just seeming bright and cheery, a number of tasteful landscapes gracing the walls, the occasional collectible knick-knack here and there, giving the house a nice look that clearly lacked any real feminine touch but at the same time couldn't be considered a typical bachelor pad. She decided she liked it.

"Ne, Sakura-chan."

Startled out of her thoughts, the girl blinked in surprise at the now slightly blushing blond. "Hm?"

"You look really nice today."

Immediately she felt herself start to blush as well. Why did he have to say that so seriously? "No, I don't, Naruto, and you know it." A regular pair of form-fitting denim jeans along with a pink and white sweater from Wal-Mart did not count as 'looking nice'. In fact, she'd spent nearly an hour that morning agonizing over whether or not to wear something nicer, thinking maybe at least a skirt would be more appropriate for the occasion, but had decided against it simply because of her long walk and how cold it was outside.

"No, you really do!" the boy insisted, waving his arms for emphasis. "That shirt looks good on you. And I really like your hair like that. It's cute."

Sakura felt her cheeks get hotter as she reached up to touch the two tiny pigtails she had pulled her now much shorter locks into. "Thanks, Naruto."

Grinning like a madman now, he quickly reached out and snagged the girl's wrist. "C'mon, come say hi to Iruka!"

Being dragged into the kitchen which was already beginning to emanate delicious smells, Sakura was greeted with the sight of her old elementary school teacher chopping up carrots and wearing a light blue apron adorned with cartoon dolphins. "Hello, Umino-sensei."

"Sakura! It's good to see you! Look how much you've grown."

She did her best not to blush again. What was it with these two and praising people? "It's good to see you too... Do you need any help with anything? I'm not too bad in the kitchen."

Her offer was immediately waved away with a smile and an order to Naruto to show her to the den, where the blond immediately collapsed into the cushions of a well-worn couch. "So, you wanna watch TV or somethin'? There's football on, but I don't think you'd really wanna-"

"I love football."

Naruto blinked in surprise as the girl primly took a seat next to him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome, dattebayo!" Making a wild grab for the remote, he turned on the TV to be greeted with a game already in progress. After a few minutes of silence he hesitantly asked, "So who d'you think's gonna win?"

"The Cowboys."

"Oh yeah, how come?"

He wasn't exactly expecting her answer to be an in depth list of stats, highlights, and general examples about not only the team in question but the other team as well. He stared. "Oh."

"Yeah, plus the quarterback is— What the _hell_? Are you fucking blind? That was holding, you incompetent MORON!"

"Uh, Sakura-chan—"

"Jesus Christ, where do they find these useless dumbfucks? Honestly, anyone could see that that was clearly— THROW THE FUCKING BALL FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

Naruto wasn't sure whether or not to be scared. Luckily for him the doorbell chose then to ring. "Ah, someone else is here. Be right back, Sakura-chan." Flying to the door once more, he wrenched it open to be met with a familiar scowl and glaring dark eyes.

"Dobe."

"Heh, teme."

There was a moment of silence as they stared each other down, then, "C'mon in. Sakura-chan's already here. She's... watching football."

Sasuke paused in the process of taking off his jacket, shooting Naruto a smug look. "Che, stupid dobe. That's how you impress the girl you like? Turning on football?"

"She said she wanted to watch it!"

"Sure that's what she _said_. Girls don't really _watch_ football."

Naruto opened his mouth to snap back a sharp reply, but then stopped, grinning slyly instead. "Okay, teme. Anyway come on in the den."

"Hn."

Naruto led him to the room, poking his head covertly around the corner and frowning. Shit, there was a commercial. No, no, no he couldn't— "Say, teme," he whipped around, blocking the entrance to the room and nearly causing Sasuke to collide with him, "you thirsty? I can get you somethin' to drink if you-"

"I'm fine, dobe."

Well, of course he was. But since an advertisement for Clorox Bleach could still be heard in the background, "Come say hi to Iruka then. Just for a minute."

Sasuke grunted his approval of the suggestion, and after popping briefly into the kitchen to greet the cheerful teacher, Naruto led him back around to the den once more. Only this time the game was back on. Okay, showtime.

Naruto made a sweeping motion with his arm. "After you."

"Hn." Sasuke entered the room walking over to the couch while Naruto held his breath from the doorway. He really, really hoped Sakura was as into the game as he thought she was...

"Hn. Sakura."

"Huh?" Green eyes barely left the TV screen. "Oh. Hi, Sasuke. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, YOU LAZY BUM?"

Yes! Success! Looking brighter than the sun, Naruto walked up to the stunned raven, shooting a cocky smile his way. "What was that you were saying earlier, teme?"

Sasuke blinked stupidly.

"Ne, Sakura-chan." Naruto sat next to the pink-haired girl once more. She didn't even yell at him when he purposely let their legs touch. "Dallas has that new receiver, right? He's supposed to be good."

"Good?" Sakura gave him a scandalized look. "Good doesn't even begin to cover it."

It only took about two more minutes of chatter and watching the game before Naruto became aware of one very important fact. The sullen raven sitting at the other end of the couch had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. None whatsoever. And damn if it didn't make him feel good. "So what'd you think, teme? Should they put in Smith or Jones?"

Sakura finally turned to really look at their classmate for the first time since he'd arrived, clearly waiting for his answer. Sasuke glared. "I'm thirsty. I'm getting a drink."

"Eh? But I just offered you a drink like a minute ago!" Naruto cried as the boy left the room, not surprised at all by the diversion tactic. He knew how much it would bother the super cool, elite Uchiha to not know something. This was great. "So, Sakura-chan, about the tailback..."

Sasuke slunk into the kitchen, asking Iruka politely (if a bit moodily) where the cups were and helping himself to some water from the tap. He wasn't really thirsty, but it would look strange if he said he was getting a drink and then returned without one. Damn dobe, setting him up like that. And yes, he was quite aware the blond had set him up. Like he gave a flying fuck about football. The only sport he was even mildly interested in was soccer, and even that he hadn't played or watched in years.

Heading back towards the den, the doorbell rang just as he was passing the front door. He paused, uncertain, but from the sound of it, Naruto hadn't even heard the bell over the string of profanities Sakura was letting lose. Well, it wasn't like Umino-sensei would care. Might as well make himself useful.

Of course, opening the door he expected to be met with Gaara's glare or Sai's stupid smile. He wasn't expecting to come face to face with his Biology teacher, chewing on a toothpick like always. He stared. "Shiranui-sensei?"

"Hey, Sasuke. Happy Thanksgiving."

Sasuke stared some more.

"Oh, the game's on, great. Who's winning?"

More staring. "... Ask Sakura."

The toothpick twitched. "Sakura?"

"THROW THE DAMN BALL, YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!"

Shiranui blinked.

"Yeah. Sakura."

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Chouji, come on down! Shikamaru's here!"

"Coming, Mom!"

Shikamaru listened to several bumps before the distinct sound of heavy footsteps bounding down the stairs could be heard and Chouji emerged into the substantial kitchen of the Akimichi household. He shot his friend a grin. "Hey."

"Hey, Shika. Happy Thanksgiving." He spied the lazy boy's parents across the room and quickly gave them a smile. "Hello, Uncle Shikaku, Aunt Yoshino. Happy Thanksgiving." Though as they'd gotten older, the children had started referring to each other's parents more formally outside the house, when they all got together like this old habits came back.

"Hello, Chouji." Yoshino was quick to bustle across the room and give the large boy a hug. "Well, don't you look handsome. Unlike some people." She shot her son a withering glare which he pointedly ignored.

Chouji blushed a bit and looked down with a muttered thanks. He hadn't dressed special or anything, just a thin, dark green sweater made of a soft material he really liked and a pair of khakis. It was the type of thing he normally wore, but he supposed compared to Shikamaru's threadbare jeans and worn-in hoodie he did look well-dressed. He'd always just liked slightly nicer clothes, that was all. Shikamaru liked being comfortable.

"Hey, you get that new game?" the genius interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly nodded, his enthusiasm clear.

"Yeah, let me get it."

"Oh, you boys and your video games," Yoshino sighed with a huff. "It _is_ a holiday you know." She stared Shikamaru down. "You could try spending some time with your family and being more sociable."

Shika stared back, blank and bored.

"Leave 'em alone, Yoshino," Shikaku muttered from his seat at the table. "They're not hurting anything, and they still have to eat dinner with us old folks. Let them enjoy the day."

While Yoshino continued her rant, more to herself now than anyone else, Shikamaru shot his father a thankful look. He didn't have the energy to deal with his mother right then.

There was the ringing of the doorbell, some movement, and then a minute later Chouza entered the room with a familiar blond by his side. Shika smiled up at the tall man. "Hey, Uncle Inoichi."

"Shikamaru." He was granted a warm smile. "How have you been?"

"Fine. You?"

"It could always be worse."

Chouji reappeared and exchanged his own greetings with the man, one thing quickly becoming abundantly clear. "So, uh... where's Ino?" he asked shyly. Because despite the lack of communication the two boys had had with the pretty blond prior to the after school program starting up, Thanksgiving had always been the exception. Their dads always got together every Thanksgiving, meaning Chouji's and Shikamaru's mothers and the three kids themselves were dragged along as well. It was the one day a year where they all seemed to get along without fighting. They just let their parents drink themselves into a stupor while they sat back, ate turkey, and played a shitload of video games. It was tradition.

Inoichi shifted a bit at the question, averting blue eyes away. "She's with her mother this year."

Shika frowned and exchanged a glance with his larger friend. That was odd. Ino had always spent every major holiday with her father, regardless of the time of month. Always, ever since the Yamanakas got a divorce. Were there some kind of new custody issues being brought up all of a sudden? At least now Ino's particularly hostile behavior on Monday made sense. She must have known by then she wouldn't get to spend the holiday with her dad. And in typical Ino fashion, she had turned her disappointment into anger.

Though sometimes Shika really did have a hard time blaming her.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Can you believe they let them score there? That was just... it's beyond pathetic!"

"Bad call by the coaches."

"I know! That was really one of the stupidest fucking—" Sakura froze immediately, irate chatter dying as she was sharply reminded this was her teacher she was talking to.

Genma chuckled. "Hey, we're not in school. Say what you want." The toothpick permanently affixed in his mouth rolled across his lips. "I'm gonna go check on Ru."

The children silently watched him leave before Naruto lightly told the others, "Don't ever call Iruka 'Ru'. He hates it, that's why Genma does it."

"Genma," Sasuke intoned, eyes narrowing a bit.

Naruto laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head with a nervous grin. "Yeah... Look, guys, I'm sorry this is kinda awkward. I didn't even think to tell you Genma was coming because I'm used to it. Y'know, seeing a lotta the teachers outside of school. I'm really sorry."

Gaara, who had silently shown up some time ago and taken a seat sullenly next to the pouting raven on the couch, muttered, "Don't worry about it."

"Hn."

"Yeah, Naruto, it's really no big deal," Sakura insisted with a wave of her hand. "I mean, it is weird, but like, a different kind of weird, not a bad kind. Actually Americans are really overly formal when it comes to student/teacher relationships. There's so many laws and stuff it's kind of ridiculous; like all teachers are out to molest their students or something. In a lot of Asian countries, it's common for students to invite teachers to their house for dinner, or for teachers to visit a student's home and speak directly with their parents if the student's having trouble in school."

The blond perked up. "Oh yeah?"

She tilted her head. "If the Travel Channel's to be believed."

"Shiranui-sensei's not bad anyway," Gaara added softly.

Naruto nodded emphatically. "Yeah yeah, he's a really nice guy. And like he said, we're not in school, so just try not to think about it. You don't need to, like, behave or anything around him."

Sakura was the one who seemed hesitant this time. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! What, you think he'd give you detention or something?"

"Well... no, but—"

Genma returned then, toothpick gone, but only because he was currently in the process of guzzling down a can of cheap beer. The kids watched as he resumed his previous seat in the armchair, eyes wide in three of the four cases. He shot them a grin. "I told you; we're not in school. It's my holiday too, y'know."

They all noticeably relaxed.

"When's that creepy guy getting here?" Gaara asked after several more minutes had passed and Sakura and Genma were deep in conversation about the game.

Naruto's face fell. "Oh. Sai's not coming."

"Huh?" Sakura immediately turned away from the honey-haired man, pink eyebrows raised. "Why not? He seemed... well, as far as Sai goes, he actually seemed excited to come."

"I know, right?" Naruto pouted childishly and crossed his arms over his chest. "He just came up to me in the hall yesterday and said he couldn't make it. Didn't explain more than that or nothin'."

"Hn." Sasuke glowered. "Who cares about the freak?"

"Yeah, his loss," Sakura agreed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He would probably say something to ruin the whole day anyway."

"Yeah but..." Naruto looked pained. "It just seems weird."

"He _is_ weird," Sasuke deadpanned and no one could argue that point. After a brief pause, the conversation went in another direction, all four children, particularly the three from Kakashi's group becoming more relaxed and comfortable with each other. No one said anything more about their pale classmate.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Stupid jerk, give it back!"

"Hey, you kids leave that alone!"

"Mooom, I'm _hungry_."

"Stop poking me!"

"Tsume, we're outta beer."

"Watch your language, young man!"

"Get'm, Akamaru!"

"Misaki Inuzuka, you put your sister down this instant!"

Kiba had oft endured taunts and teases from his friends and other acquaintances that he lived in a zoo. While he had to admit his home did hold quite a few more animals than the average American household (all of the canine breed, of course) and most of his family members did come off as a bit rough in their speech and mannerisms, that wasn't generally an accurate statement. However, whenever the holidays rolled around and his entire extended family which included his mother's four brothers and their copious amount of children (the majority of whom were still under ten years of age) came over...

Kiba diligently pried a four year old limpet off his leg and pushed through a pair of arguing eight year olds, trying to find his sister. He had to admit, he was a bit irked she had abandoned him since they usually stuck together during such times, but maybe she was just helping his mom with the last of the cooking. Not that Hana could cook to save her life, but she could at least set out plates for the food to go on.

Shoving his way to the kitchen, he let the swinging door fly loose behind him, smirking a bit when it smacked one of his drunker uncles in the back. That's what he got for not even waiting until after dinner to over-indulge. Brown eyes scanning the steam-misted room, he saw his mother, grandmother, and two of his aunts but... "Hey, Ma, have you seen Hana?"

Tsume spared a brief glance over her shoulder at her youngest before turning her attention back to the boiling pot in front of her. "No, but check out front. She might be waiting for her friend to get here."

Kiba blinked stupidly, mind a little slow at comprehending the words. Friend?

Admittedly confused, he left the kitchen once more to wade through the sea of bodies and reach his front yard. Sure enough, there was his sister, without her coat he noticed, standing and talking to... Oh.

Kiba tried not to stare, but it was hard. Hana had always been on the tomboyish side, anyone who knew her would tell you that, but the girl she was currently talking with... well, she just _screamed_ over-zealous, feminist lesbian. Not that Kiba had a problem with feminist lesbians seeing as his sister was a bit of one herself, but when you saw someone who just looked so stereotypical... The girl had short, spiky hair, dyed so blond it was nearly white, her clothes had all clearly been bought in the Men's department, a black and red baggy sweater beneath a large, camo army jacket, denim jeans a bit loose and sagging. She didn't have any makeup on that Kiba could decipher, but she did have her nails painted, light pink interestingly enough, and wore several rings on her right hand... which he couldn't help but notice when the girl reached up to tuck a loose strand of his sister's hair behind her ear. He promptly made a face. Couldn't Hana have found someone with a bit more fashion sense? He'd seen plenty of girls who actually managed to pull off the whole wearing guys' clothes thing and made it look good. This girl was not one of them.

"Kiba!" Hana cried in surprise, catching her little brother out of the corner of her eye. "What are you doing there?"

"Lookin' for you," he said with a shrug, making his way casually down the front steps of the porch and sauntering over to the two girls. "Who's this?"

"Ah, this is Lori. Lori, my brother."

Kiba eyed the girl a bit more once he got closer, noting she at least had a pretty face. "Hey."

Lori's gray eyes narrowed a bit, like she was sizing him up, before she stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Kiba."

The teenager tried not to wince at the amazon's firm grip, nor let on to just how much he would have to crane his neck in order to look her in the eye. Why couldn't he just grow? Though this girl was quite tall...

"C'mon inside, it's cold out here," Hana interrupted his thoughts, obviously talking to her... _friend_. "Though remember, I warned you before..."

"Your family's crazy, I get it," Lori responded good-naturedly, pushing past Kiba without a second glance. "It's not like mine's exactly a cakewalk."

Hana smiled brightly at the other girl, taking her hand in a very familiar way and leading her into the current chaos of the Inuzuka household. Neither one of them looked back at the slightly stunned fourteen year old still standing on the front lawn, trying to figure out why it felt like he had just been blown off.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Top left."

"I see it."

Fingers flying over the buttons and joysticks of the controller, Shikamaru targeted his prey, took aim, and... died. "Troublesome."

Chouji sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions and reaching idly for another potato chip. "We were definitely better at this last year. Not having Ino here makes a big difference."

Shikamaru frowned, and his friend knew that to be his silent agreement. For a minute they sat there, not speaking, until, "I really need a smoke. Let's take a walk."

"Got anything besides Marlboros?"

A lazy smirk. "I might." Which was how the two boys found themselves five minutes later ensconced in a small patch of woods down the road from the Akimichi's house, passing a pipe between them and keeping an ear out just in case someone decided to come along.

"So," Chouji said slowly, once the world had begun to grow a little fuzzy, "what do you think's really going on with Ino?"

Shika inhaled deeply and held his breath, waiting for the smoke to take effect. Once he'd finally breathed out he admitted, "Dunno; but if I had to guess, I'd say it's a custody thing. Her mom probably wants more money again."

"Uncle Inoichi already pays her over half his salary," Chouji muttered darkly.

"Exactly. Which is why this time he's probably trying to hold out instead of just giving in like he usually does. Which is why that bitch didn't let Ino come over this year. Because it is her half of the month technically."

"But it's not _fair_! She makes Ino miserable!" The large boy cast his eyes downward, obviously distressed. "She's the reason everything got all messed up in the first place. I don't see how she managed to get custody at all."

"She managed," Shika drawled, "because the American court system rarely sides with a man over a woman in a child custody case."

"But Uncle Inoichi's a great dad! And that... that _woman_-"

"I know, Chouji."

A plump bottom lip disappeared between off-white teeth, brown eyes clouded. Chouji leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together and staring at them, like they held all the answers to his problems. "Isn't there _anything_ we can do? Y'know, to help?"

Shikamaru started to shake his head before being cut off by the rather vehement, "We have to do _something_!" from his best friend.

Startled for a brief moment, Shika stared at the brunette, bloodshot eyes growing shrewd. His lips twitched. Chouji didn't have any kind of outbursts like that very often, certainly never bothered to defend himself with that kind of fervor; but then, how could he forget to take into account just who they were talking about. Looks like time and distance didn't change some things. "Well..."

_**Dattebayo!**_

There was a knock at Neji's door, soft and hesitant, forcing him to tear his pale gaze away from the text in front of him. "_What_?" he snapped with absolutely no trace of patience. He needed to finish reading both this chapter and the next in his History book, then he had a rather large assignment for Chemistry not to mention his Physics homework which was always a bitch to do, and that English essay still needed revised... He _would_ maintain his perfect grades. They _would not_ slip. And interruptions like this were hardly conducive to his efforts. Furthermore... he knew exactly who it was at his door. No one else would knock like that.

The door opened a crack to reveal eyes so alike yet so different to his own peering in at him. "N-niisan. I... I made d-dinner so—"

"I have absolutely no time to indulge your foolish whims about a ridiculous holiday that has lost all of its original meaning, stuffing myself with poultry and potatoes while you stutter incessantly and your sister whines about the hardships of being a spoiled, rich brat. Unless your father is home and commanding my presence, which I'm quite certain he's not, seeing as it's his habit to place his work above any semblance of family that remains in this horrible place, then please see yourself out. I'm busy."

There was a pause as it took Hinata a minute to decipher his words, making him smirk smugly. While his vocabulary was above that of the average teenager, he admitted in full that yes, he did go out of his way to speak in such a manner around his younger cousin more so than he would anyone else. He enjoyed watching her struggle to figure out the big words and complex patterns of his speech. It was just one more way he was superior to her. It was one more reason _he_ should be heir to the Hyuuga estate. Not the pathetic little girl in front of him who could barely string a proper sentence together without falling apart.

Once she was sure she had indeed understood his meaning, she pushed the bedroom door open further and inched slowly inside a step or two, obviously afraid to go any further. Considering Neji had already narrowed his eyes dangerously at her approach, that might have been a good thing.

"I know you don't want to e-e-eat with us, niisan. B-but I brought you this."

Neji's gaze softened ever so slightly as he watched her set a plate ladened with food (mouthwatering food at that) down carefully on the bedside table by the door. The moment that was done she began to back out of the room once more, closing the door after her. He heard the whispered, "Happy Thanksgiving," right before it shut with a soft click.

The silence that he normally craved in his room suddenly felt oddly suffocating, and he glared at the food left behind, irrational anger rearing its ugly head for reasons he didn't even bother to try and understand. He petulantly considered just not eating it... but his stomach chose that exact moment to give a rather loud growl, letting its displeasure about being neglected all day known. He pouted. It was stupid, after all, to let perfectly good food go to waste just because he couldn't stand the person who'd made it. Stupid and childish.

Snapping to his feet and crossing the room swiftly to retrieve the plate, he brought it back to his desk, digging his fork into the waiting mashed potatoes and gravy as his eyes strayed back towards the print... Dear God, that was damn near orgasmic. The food, not the French Revolution.

Yes, it really was stupid to let perfectly good food go to waste.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Ino sighed as she stepped outside, forcing a puff of her breath to rise in front of her like smoke in the cold air of the rapidly darkening evening. A sudden gust of wind made her shiver and cross her arms over her chest in a futile attempt to trap some semblance of warmth. She hadn't put on a coat, hadn't thought of it really. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure why she was standing in the parking lot at all, she had just... needed to get out. Even though her mother— _Akira_ wasn't home to drive her away, the silence of the condo had been nearly as intolerable. Lonely. And she wasn't supposed to feel lonely, not today. It was a holiday. She was supposed to be with her father, she was supposed to be watching him get wasted while he tried (and failed) to keep up with his two best friends, she was supposed to be playing video games and eating until she felt like she would burst and laughing with Shikamaru and Chouji... She was supposed to be happy.

Why did she never feel happy anymore?

There was some noise as a resident of the complex came out to the large dumpster and threw in a few trashbags. Hurriedly schooling her face to a neutral boredom, the blond glanced over disinterestedly, starting a bit when her eyes met a familiar face. "Oh... hey." She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what exactly to do or say. She barely even knew this girl, but yet she _did_ know her, though she hadn't known they lived near each other. It seemed just... overly rude to not say anything. And Ino was only really rude when she was around her other friends from school. "How are you?"

Tenten for her part, narrowed her eyes shrewdly, trying to figure out just what game the younger girl was playing. Why, exactly, was Ino Yamanaka bothering to talk to her? "Fine." She paused, lips pursed. Were they making smalltalk? "You?"

"Oh. Fine." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, feeling off balance by the whole encounter. "How's your, uh... Thanksgiving been?"

Wary brown eyes surveyed her carefully before answering, "Boring."

Ino perked up a bit. "Yeah?"

"Yeah... My mom's at work."

Ino felt herself unconsciously relax at the hesitant admittance. She was bored because she was alone on the holiday? Well, that was certainly familiar territory. "Yeah, my mom's... well, she's out too." She shrugged. "I guess I just sorta... decided to take a walk. Or something."

Tenten nodded, understanding well enough what she meant. Silence could be louder than any other noise. Though this still all seemed awfully complicated considering she was just trying to take out her trash. "Well, guess I'll see you at school. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Yeah..." Ino watched the other girl, whose hair was down and pulled back into a low ponytail for once, she noticed, turn and go back into her own upscale condo, glancing back and giving an awkward wave before shutting the door behind her. That had... well, it had been a bit uncomfortable and stiff, but really it hadn't been too bad. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but somehow she hadn't been ready for Tenten to talk to her in a normal, fairly polite way. It was just... all the other girls _talked_ about her all the time. She was so rough and aggressive... supposedly...

Sighing and finally letting the cold dictate her actions, Ino retreated back into her own condo, wishing the day and the whole three day weekend after would end so she could just get back to school.

_**Dattebayo!**_

"Ooooh. I ate too much." Sakura leaned back in her chair with a pleasant sigh, hands coming up to massage her middle. It felt like she weighed about a thousand pounds. "It was all really good, Umino-sensei."

Iruka attempted to act nonchalant, but it was obvious he was preening under the praise. "Thank you, Sakura. Gaara, I hope you got enough to eat."

The quiet little red-head nodded his assurance. He hadn't been able to eat the turkey, obviously, and the stuffing... well, he just plain didn't like stuffing, definitely not after it had been encompassed in a vessel of meat; but he'd loaded up on potatoes and green beans and corn and rolls and yams... Were yams a type of potato?

"Thank you, sensei," Sasuke intoned softly but politely, eyes averted just to the left of the man's head as he did so.

Iruka chuckled at the typical Uchiha behavior. "You're welcome, Sasuke. Naruto, why don't you guys go back in the den so I can get this stuff cleaned up."

Naruto hummed his agreement and got up to do just that, discreetly wrapping tan fingers around Sakura's wrist to lead her. He nearly crowed aloud in triumph when she did nothing to shake him off, too sleepy from overeating to get angry. Sasuke glowered solemnly at the sight but said nothing.

All four teens flopped down on the couch, and for a minute just sat in silence. A minute was all Naruto could really handle in silence, of course, so he demanded loudly, "So whatcha wanna do? We could watch TV or play X-box or somethin'."

Sasuke didn't really want to do either with the people currently occupying the room, but neither did he want to go home this early. Itachi was undoubtedly still wide awake and waiting for him. If he went home now, his brother might try and force him to do something 'family' like. "Hn. Doesn't matter."

"I wouldn't mind playing video games," Sakura added her own input, "but I'm not going to lie. I suck at them."

If Naruto had even heard the second part he didn't pause, having leapt from the couch like it was on fire the moment the girl had spoken. After a few wires had been properly connected the X-box 360 was on and running with controllers handed out.

"Okay," Naruto cried happily. "The name of the game is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We're playing two on two... Sakura-chan's on my team."

Sasuke grunted while Gaara rolled his eyes at Naruto's usual antics.

"Okay, listen up, 'cuz I'm only gonna explain the controls once. Listening, teme?"

"I've played before, dobe!"

"With who?"

"... The game is mostly meant for a single player, _dobe_."

Naruto chuckled before carefully explaining the controls (much more than once) to Sakura. Which was how they started their four hour Call of Duty marathon that went until just after ten at night. Mostly because after Sasuke and Gaara had consecutively won twenty-three games in a row (Naruto really didn't mind that Sakura was absolutely awful at the game. She was still on _his_ team!) the blond and pinkette got lucky and managed to scrape out a single victory. Once that had happened Sasuke refused to quit until he had won at least ten more. Uchiha pride and all.

They were actually still going strong when the raven's phone buzzed in his pocket, making him frown. "Naruto, pause it."

"No way!"

"I've got a call, dobe, pause it!"

"Eat me!"

Sasuke growled.

Sakura whacked Naruto over the head. "Pause the game!"

"Right away, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke fished his phone out and glared fire at the screen. After another moment's hesitation, he pushed the green button. "What?"

The others all watched in amusement, unable to hear the person on the other end but entertained by Sasuke's reactions all the same.

"Naruto's... Later... No... I said no... I don't care... I said I don't want a ride!" The Uchiha was now beginning to look furious instead of just annoyed. "I don't... Fine... Yes..." He hung up without bothering to say goodbye. "I'm getting picked up in about fifteen minutes," he announced moodily.

Naruto nodded and unpaused the game. When it was time for Sasuke to go, he somewhat reluctantly offered Sakura a ride, which she hedged around before politely declining. She herself left five minutes later, thanking Iruka again for having her over and, while not verbally thanking Naruto, let her appreciation be known. Once she was gone it was just Naruto and Gaara left, the little redhead studying the blond with narrowed eyes. He wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure none of Kakashi's group had any idea just how well they got along. Almost like they were real friends.

Well, three/fourths of the group at least. Sai could hardly be included. The others hadn't even given him a second thought.

_**Dattebayo!**_

Sai didn't enjoy his Thanksgiving like the others. There was no turkey dinner for him. No football or video games or playful jokes. He was alone, the whole day. In the dark. Hungry. Because he'd forgotten himself. Forgotten his previous lessons. And Danzou wanted to make sure he never forgot.

* * *

Wow, that took waaaay too long to get out. My bad.

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